A Need to be Loved
by Cannonade
Summary: Dante is frustrated; the missions suck, the pay is terrible and on top of that, he keeps dreaming about a certain someone. But maybe his luck is about to get better. DxN Yaoi, maybe OOC to be safe. Don't like, don't read.
1. Chapter 1 Pizza Guy

_This is my first fanfiction for DMC (eep), I hope it turns out okay... well, it's Dante x Nero which I love and finally decided to write something. Yes, there will be yaoi eventually so if you don't like, then shoo!!!_

_Capcom owns Devil May Cry and if I owned it, Dante would deliver me pizza in his coat and a man thong... and Nero would be in my shower_

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**A Need to be Loved**

**Chapter 1 – Pizza Guy**

He was going to kill Lady. It was the only thought going through Dante's head as he slashed his way through a small hoard of Scarecrows with ease. _Important mission my arse_, Dante grumbled to himself as he sliced the last demon in half with an angry slash of Rebellion. _What kind of money does she expect me to make off this?_ Sure, there was nothing to be accidentally destroyed that would increase his debt, but the pay for this 'mission' was lousy. Because he had to travel so far out for this one, more of the earnings would go on travel costs than going towards paying off his seemingly endless dept. He was never going to find the money to fix the damn plumbing at Devil May Cry at this rate and he was fed up of cold showers.

Grumbling even more at the thought of his financial frustrations, and Lady's smug expression when he returned, Dante slung Rebellion onto his back and left the field for the farmhouse to collect his pay. Before knocking on the door, he glanced at the sky to see that a dim blue glow was all that was left of daylight. Great; he was tired, smelt of demon blood and now had no choice but look for a hotel in the crappy town down the road. Could his luck get any worse? He decided to let that question slide as he knocked on the wooden door, trying his very best not to look pissed off. This was Lady's fault, not the client. The aging farmer opened the door slowly with a look of fear in his eyes, but that left him when he saw it was only the devil hunter.

"A-Are they... dead?" he stammered.

Honestly, what did he take him for? "Of course," the irritation was clear in Dante's voice.

"Oh thank god! Please come in sir, I'll sort out your pay."

God had nothing to do with this. Dante walked inside awkwardly, knowing already that his payment would barely serve him at all. He glanced briefly into the living room, seeing a boy with short black hair covering his eyes, his mind lost in the music he was listening to through his headphones. He couldn't have been any older than eighteen; similar to the kid he met a few months back in Fortuna. Dante shook his head. His mind had wondered to that cocky young hunter far too often of recent.

"Here you are sir," the farmer returned. "This is what we agreed."

_What Lady agreed_, Dante thought as he flicked through the wad of cash. "Adequate," he mumbled with a shrug.

"I'm sorry to have called you out so far and so late, but our local hunter doesn't take these jobs in the evenings. He must have another job or something."

"Local hunter?" Dante raised an eyebrow.

"That's right," the old man nodded. "Young kid. Never seen him though."

"Interesting." _It couldn't be..._

"I hear he's not bad."

"Listen, I need to get moving. Do you know a decent place to stay in the town further along? It's too late for me to head home now."

"My daughter works at a small place called The Constellation. It's a bit cramped in the rooms, but it's clean. I tell you what, as thanks for coming all the way out here, tell her to charge me for your stay."

Lucky. "Thanks."

Though it was a little awkward, he wouldn't refuse an offer like that. Outside, Dante tucked Rebellion safely away in the boot of his red sports car before heading off towards the town. The cool evening breeze was refreshing and managed to take off a bit of the edge to the stench of demon blood in his hair. He drove slowly through the narrow streets of the town, trying to find The Constellation. However, he found himself easily distracted, especially by a young couple walking along aimlessly, holding hands and laughing. Was he really feeling _that_ lonely? _That's why you're always thinking about that kid, right?_ Dante ignored his inner devil and drove on, eventually finding the place he was looking for. That old farmer was right; it was tiny. But it was free.

He parked the car in an empty space behind the building and retrieved Rebellion before entering, immediately spotting the woman behind the desk. Her hair was the exact same colour black as the boy in the farmhouse; she was probably his mother. Dante strolled over to the desk, feeling his tiredness washing away by the hunger that now enveloped him. Where the hell would he be able to eat in this place?

"Can I help?" the woman asked.

"Err, yeah," Dante replied as he ignored the growling in his stomach. "Your father told me..."

"Ah, you must be Dante the Devil Hunter!"

That startled him a little. "Uh... yes..."

"So you really did come all this way to help my father?"

_Reluctantly, yes_. He nodded.

"Let me guess, he wants me to charge him for your stay?"

How did she guess all this? "Yeah..."

"No problem, I'll fetch your keys!"

Dante blinked a few times, still startled by her perceptiveness. He then wondered how she could be so cheerful working in here, alone for most of the day with these depressing walls. Such a thing could never cheer him up, as he thought about waiting around Devil May Cry all day for the phone to ring. But the woman was soon back, keys in hand with even more cheer, if possible.

"Second floor at the end," she explained.

"Thanks..." Dante noted, an idea now coming to mind. "Hey, can I order pizza?"

"Oh sure, just give them your room number and I'll send them up."

How he longed for pizza right now. He grabbed at the phone almost greedily, beginning to search through the phone book until he glanced up and spied a pizza delivery number on the notice board. He dialled the number quickly and ordered a pizza with everything he could think of, so long as it didn't have olives. The world suddenly became beautiful again and he felt a little less pissed off. He went through the door at the far end and climbed the stairs to the second floor to search for his room. It was cramped, as he expected, but at least he had a small shower cubical that was shoved in the corner of the bathroom. He checked the clock on the bedside table; his pizza would turn up in about twenty minutes, so he had plenty of time to clean off.

He tossed his clothes onto the small single bed as he undressed, the muscles on his toned body flexing as he stretched leisurely. He hurried into the shower and turned on the water, flinching at the sudden cold but it warmed up soon enough. The heat was relaxing and the cheap soap was enough to wash away the nasty dead demon smell. The steam cleared his head and he allowed himself a smirk as memories of last night's dream came flooding back to him. Nero, his pale skin glowing from heat as he bent over a desk, not a scrap of clothing on his cute, well exercised body. Oh how he'd give anything to have that kid in the shower with him right now, begging to be fucked out of existence. Dante coughed as he felt an all too familiar feeling build between his legs. This shower had to be quick; his pizza depended on it. His recent sex dreams involving the young punk were good, but so was food right now.

With a deep sigh, Dante turned off the water and stepped out, almost slipping on the bar of soap he'd dropped. He dried himself off as well as he could, wrapping the towel around his waist and rubbing through his hair with a dry one. He left the bathroom and stared at the clock again. Almost pizza time! He tossed the towel aside and put on his boxers and leather trousers, deciding it best not to startle the delivery guy. The instant he zipped up, there was a knock at the door.

"Pizza delivery," spoke a young male voice.

Dante froze. _That voice._ No, it couldn't be. He shrugged off the thought and opened the door to collect his pizza. His jaw nearly hit the floor when he saw who was actually standing there and from the expression on the other's face, the surprise was mutual.

"D-Dante?"

"Kid?"

It was Nero, no doubt about it. Despite the fact that his usual attire had been changed for the pizza shop uniform, it was him. Silver hair and blue eyes to match his, pale skin that was so tempting to touch and a black leather glove covering his Devil Bringer. If he wasn't mistaken, there was a very faint azure glow emanating from that glove. When Nero saw where Dante was looking, he blushed lightly and grasped the cardboard box a little tighter. What a chance! The kid that had occupied his thoughts for so long now was standing at his door, delivering a pizza. It could only get better if he started a strip tease. Dante smirked, an imagine forming in his mind of Nero wearing only a thong with a slice of pizza hanging from his mouth.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he queried with a chuckle.

Nero glared. "What does it look like old man? Delivering pizza."

"Thought you were in Fortuna."

The younger's face reddened. "I... I was..."

"Hey, you look a little flustered, are you alright?"

"Shut up! Just take your damn pizza."

Dante chuckled again before taking the box from the boy and taking it inside to get some money. Whether he knew him or not, he still had to pay. He returned to Nero, who was still blushing a furious pink and wearing a glare on his face. Clearly he was embarrassed to have been caught as a delivery boy by the elder, but there was no denying how cute he looked.

"Fast delivery kid," Dante teased. "Obviously not your first time."

"So what if it's not?" Nero huffed, taking the money.

"How long have you been here?"

He sighed. "Listen old man, I've still got deliveries to make."

"Then I'll call in on you tomorrow before I leave."

"Oh... sure..." that offer seemed to surprise him a little. "Here, I'll give you the address. I'm at home all day."

Dante realised something at that moment. "You still kill demons, don't you?"

Nero shrugged as he took a menu out of his pocket and scribbled on it. "Guess so, I get paid for a few jobs every now and then to keep on top of my rent and keep my skills sharp. Can't let you get the better of me, old man."

"Really? You still think of me? I'm touched."

His face turned another shade of red at the other's remark. "Here."

He grumbled lowly as he thrust the written on pizza menu into the elder slayer's chest. A smirk once again crept to Dante's lips as he took the piece of paper without dropping Nero's gaze. This was still too good to be true.

"I check out at eleven, so expect me around then," he explained.

"Whatever," Nero mumbled. "Just don't forget."

Without another word he left, Dante watching him before he exited to the staircase. _Like I'd forget you kid; I can't get you out of my mind!_ He shut the door and glanced at the address Nero gave him, squinting to try and make out the words. It was on the way out of town in his direction, so it was no time off the trip back to Devil May Cry. Dante smiled to himself as he piled his clothes onto the chair and slipped into the small, slightly lumpy bed. Hopefully, he wouldn't be alone on his way home tomorrow.


	2. Chapter 2 You Will Be Mine

_Wow, one chapter and so many reviews!!! :O - Thank you so much for everyone who reviewed and I hope you enjoy this update as much as the first chapter!_

_**Bitbyboth** – I'm glad you liked that twist, suddenly the idea came to me to have Nero being a pizza delivery guy (when I was eating a pizza)._

_**SirenaLoreley** – Hehe, don't we all love fulfilling Dante's sexual fantasies about Nero? As for Nero's feelings... we shall see... XD_

_**Furesesse1** – As thanks for reviewing, I would like to offer you Nero the next time you order a pizza!_

_**NekoNeko15** – Thanks there will be more!!!_

_**Tmelange** – Thanks for saying it's well written and I will try not to leave you hanging_

_**KawaiiYue** – Thanks and here is your update!_

_**Blackblade444** – Yeah, I always feel so bad for Nero... but he has a Dante after all... :D_

_**Shiya64** – Glad you liked their reunion, I should eat pizza more often since it gives me such ideas_

_And thanks again! As for warnings, this chapter does contain a piece of Dante's dirty mind (which I'm sure no one will mind). Enjoy._

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**Chapter 2 – You Will Be Mine**

_"Dante..."_

_ He loved it when Nero said his name like that; moaning, filled with lust and want. He couldn't take it. He watched Nero's face as he thrust in to the hilt, pleasure gracing those blushing features and desire filling hazy, half lidded eyes. Dante grunted a little as the younger man beneath him squirmed and he pulled almost out before slamming back in hard, striking his prostate and tearing a deep groan from him._

_ "Ah Dante!" Nero panted. "More!"_

_ There was desperation in that young voice now. He started a bruising pace, nailing the kid's sweet spot with every thrust and forcing out more moans. When those moans became his name, he picked up his pace, feeling the hot coil in his lower abdomen wind tighter._

_ "Fuck! Faster, D-Dante..." Nero screamed. "Harder!"_

_ "Shit Nero," Dante managed between pants. "You're asking for it."_

_ The younger hunter's back arched beautifully as he pounded into him, tears welling up in his eyes at the pleasure. Dante met each roll of the other's hips hard, his movements becoming erratic as the end approached. Damn it, he was so fucking close..._

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With one shrill ring of an alarm, Dante was jolted awake and he sat up immediately in shock. Why now!? He was only just reaching the good part. Cursing profusely, he slammed his hand down on top of the clock and shut off the infernal racket it was continuing to make, as though it were laughing at him. He ran his fingers through his slivery hair, growling with frustration. Yes, he needed to leave in just under an hour, but why couldn't the alarm have waited for a few more minutes? He cursed again, damning the person who set the alarm to hell. _Well done, that was you, moron!_ Dante grimaced slightly, but silenced his thoughts.

"Fuck," he glanced down at the tent in his sheets. "Now I need to deal with this."

He jumped out of bed and headed into the bathroom, deciding a cold shower was the best course of action considering he was too irritated to finish himself off. He continued to swear loudly to himself each time he saw Nero in his mind, moaning and writhing in response to his ministrations. At least the cold shower was beginning to work. Grumbling, he turned off the water and stepped out of the cubical, his foot finding the bar of soap that was still there from last night. With a thud, he fell on his arse in a puddle of cold water on the floor, feeling utterly humiliated. _Congratulations!_ In this situation, even Dante found it impossible to do anything other than laugh at himself. _You can have those dreams anytime,_ he noted inwardly as he got to his feet.

Grinning and generally feeling happier, he dried himself off with one of the white towels and quickly dressed with plenty of time to spare. He settled Rebellion on his back and holstered Ebony and Ivory before studying the address Nero had written for him on the pizza menu. The kid would definitely come with him today; in fact, he refused to leave without him. He wanted to make him his and his alone. Trying not to rush in his eagerness, he left the hotel after handing over the keys and got into his car, resting his signature blade on the passenger seat. He drove out of the car park and followed the route he used yesterday, his mind wandering to Nero again. _Just don't try and hit on him, you got that? He might flip and if you fight him, you'll end up destroying the town and Lady will be kicking your arse into the next dimension._ For once, Dante found himself agreeing with his inner demon, albeit reluctantly.

Once he saw the road he was searching for, he turned off and saw the most dingy set of flats he'd ever seen. The poor kid had to live in one of these? Something bad must have happened in Fortuna. He was definitely coming home with him. Dante stepped out of the car and found the correct block as indicated by Nero's scribbles. It was a narrow, four floor building and the numbered buzzers indicated that Nero lived at the very top. He pressed and held the button until he heard the front door click and unlock. It smelt damp inside and the walls were peeling away in wake of the advancing black and green mould. Thankfully, the condition improved on the upper floors and he knocked on Nero's door, which almost broke inward from the force of his fist. Dante raised an eyebrow as the wood around the hinges splintered as it opened, revealing a rather dishevelled looking teenager on the other side.

"Hey old man," his tired blue eyes lit up a little.

"Great place ya got here kid," Dante noted with a shake of his head.

"Do you want to come in?" he rubbed the side of his nose.

Same old kid. "No, I want to stand out here in the corridor."

He rolled his eyes as he pushed passed Nero into the small flat, which didn't even have a bedroom. There was a tiny kitchen at the far end, a door to the bathroom and the rest was just a fold-away sofa bed, a coffee table and an old television set sat on top of a wooden box. Pathetic to live in, but at least there was no damp.

"And I thought my luck sucked," Dante murmured, thoughtfully.

"It's not so bad," Nero replied with a shrug as he sat down on his patchy sofa. "I spend most of my time outside."

"Can't blame ya."

"So, what are you doing here?"

"That's what I want to know."

Nero glowered, Dante sighing and perching on the end of the coffee table. "Demon hunting, what do you think? Some turned up on a farm just outside of this town while you were off delivering pizzas for everyone. Lady had a really tough mission for me that promised excellent pay and desperately needed my expert attention!"

Nero raised an eyebrow at his sarcasm. "That good, eh?"

"What do you think, genius?"

"I think you ought to know when you've been had."

"Kind of difficult when you've got a money grabbing leech forcing any kind of work on you and repeating the word 'debt' over and over again until you give in."

Nero snorted. "You're in deep, big guy."

Dante smirked. "Well, it wasn't a total loss. I found something much more interesting than the job description."

The younger blushed. "Really..."

"So then, I've done my part. What are _you_ doing here?"

"I live here."

"Cut the crap kid, you know I'm not just going to take that as your answer, have a chat and then leave. I left you in a fairly comfortable looking position in Fortuna with your little girlfriend. So tell me, what happened?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"Because I care."

"No one cares about me, old man."

"Really? Then why did I give you that gift?"

Yamato. "Well... I guess... err..."

"What happened."

Nero observed Dante closely; no smirk on his lips, no hint of teasing in his tone and his eyes were narrowed in concentration. The guy was actually being serious. "It all went wrong after you left, Dante. Well, maybe not right away, but it all started then."

He paused, beginning to feel awkward.

"Go on," Dante pushed him to continue.

He sighed. "I tried very hard to make things work with Kyrie, but no matter how I looked at it, I would only ever be able to love her as a sister. I wanted to tell her that I still could love her and take care of her as a brother, but she was already becoming distant from me. Sure, everyone seemed okay with me right after you left, but day by day, all their pretence dropped. I thought that everyone had finally accepted me and this stupid arm but no, people starting turning their backs on me. I started wearing the sling again and continued to kill demons when they came, but it didn't matter. When the devils stopped turning up there was nothing for me to do and by that time, Kyrie had stopped looking at me and always flinched whenever I came near. Eventually, the Order forced me to leave Fortuna. I went back to Kyrie, but she didn't say a word to me until I left and then she told me I was like a curse to the town. I haven't been back since and that happened a few months ago. How times flies, eh?"

"You and Kyrie seemed so happy when I left."

"That's what I thought. So much for hoping we could still be like siblings; she hates me!"

"What does she know, kid."

"They all hate me, Dante!"

"You seem well liked here; the old guy at the farm didn't seem to dislike you."

"Yeah, because they can't see _this_," Nero indicated to his demonic arm, which was currently out of its sling and glowing dully. "If they knew about this, they'd just take me as another demon and force me to leave."

"Then they're shallow; all of them."

"Easy for you to say."

"If they can't accept you as you are, then don't bother with them. They're not worth it."

"I just want to belong somewhere _as I am_! I can't fit in anywhere with this fucking thing on display! No one wants to see this and it's better if they don't. I'm fed up of making people afraid of me. There's no one in this world who will accept me like this."

"That ain't fair kid and you know it."

"What the fuck do you know!"

Dante looked taken aback by Nero's yelling, realising that he'd struck a nerve. The poor kid had probably been through hell and back, which was a tough thing to deal with at his age. He knew that much. As much as he sympathised with Nero at this point, he needed to get the teen out of his self loathing phase. He was worth so much more than he realised.

"Don't yell at me like that," he shot back, a little harsher than he intended, but it got Nero's attention. "You know full well that there are people who care about you, so don't give me a load of bull about there being no one that wants you."

Nero looked away, his eyes clouding over a little. "Dante..."

"I'll accept you, even if you are a lousy punk."

"I... I'm sorry..."

He trailed off and broke down, shoulders shaking and tears rolling down his cheeks. With a deep sigh, Dante sat next to Nero on the sofa and pulled him into a tight hug. A long time seemed to pass as the younger hunter sobbed against the elder's chest, not feeling the gentle fingers threading comfortingly through his hair. During those moments, Nero felt like the biggest idiot in the world. He had always held Yamato close to him when he thought about Dante through those cold, lonely nights. He was stupid to think there was no one who accepted him when the sword was living proof of that fact.

"You finished kid?" asked Dante with a chuckle. "You're ruining a good shirt here."

Nero had to laugh as he pulled away and wiped the rest of the tears away with his human hand. "Bastard," he sniffed.

"What was that? I didn't quite hear you over all that sniffling."

"Oh shut up, old man."

Dante grinned. "There; much better."

Nero smiled softly. "Thanks."

"Any time."

"I guess this is where we part ways, right?"

Dante's grin quickly changed into his trademark smirk. "Not on your life! I could never forgive myself if I left you in a dump like this. That's why, out of the goodness of my heart, I'm asking you kindly to come back with me."

Nero rolled his eyes as the other man dramatically placed a hand over his chest. "And if I refuse?"

"Then I'll drag ya kicking and screaming."

"I'd like to see you try, asshole."

"Are you really sure about that?" With a wicked smirk, the elder leaned closer.

Nero's eyes widened. "Oh no you don't! Get the fuck away from me!"

Nero tried to get away, but Dante grabbed him quickly around the waist and slung him over his shoulder. The younger hunter tried to struggle, but he wasn't getting out of this one as he was carried towards the door.

"Dante!" he exclaimed. "Put me... oww!!"

As they crossed the threshold, his head smacked against the top of the door frame with a dull crack. "That hurt you idiot!"

"Sorry," though it was clear from Dante's voice that he wasn't sorry at all.

"At least let me sort out my stuff before you drag me out of here!"

"Like what?"

"Damn it just put me down!"

Dante shrugged. "If you want."

He turned around, tossing Nero back onto the sofa with a soft thump. He glanced down at the furiously blushing kid and managed to fight off the urge to jump on him. With a disgruntled noise, the younger got to his feet, approached a cupboard and pulled out a black leather bag. Dante watched with a small smirk as he packed away the few clothes and belongings he had, eventually retrieving Blue Rose and Red Queen.

"Are you ready?" he asked, a note of boredom in his voice.

"Not quite," Nero replied, sharply. "I do have a job I need to quit, or have you forgotten?"

"Oh I'll never forget you delivering me a pizza, kid."

The teen's face reddened as Dante almost purred those words. His expression quickly turned to a glare as he strapped his Bringer up in the sling, picked up his weapons and his bag and walked over to the elder slayer. Unexpectedly, the other man reached out to grab him, but he darted away quickly with a growl. Dante laughed.

"Just keeping you on your toes," he said lightly.

"Don't try anything funny old man," Nero warned.

"Really, me? Like what?"

"Like picking me up or something!"

"How about a kiss?"

Nero's jaw dropped. "No fucking way! Stop saying weird stuff!"

"Weird? You injure me, kid."

"Oh stop calling me kid for fuck's sake! Let's just get out of here before I end up kicking your arse out of that window. My boss at the pizza chain rented this place to me, so I can give him the keys back when I quit."

"After you then."

Dante indicated to the door, Nero throwing him a suspicious glance before stepping out into the musty hallway. He shivered for a moment; this place really was disgusting. At the sound of the door shutting, he turned around to observe the older man, who was just standing there looking at him. He narrowed his eyes.

"What?" questioned Nero.

"If you won't kiss me, will you cuddle me?" he asked.

"Shut up!"

Dante laughed and followed the kid down the hallway, grinning inside at his success. He certainly wasn't going home alone. His eyes travelled down Nero's back to his arse and licked his lips, absently.

_You will be mine._

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_Angsty Nero is angsty... sorry, I have a real soft spot for crying Nero but he's all cheered up now!_


	3. Chapter 3 Unexpected Roadblock

_Thank you very much again for all your reviews, you are all so awesome!!!! So here is chapter 3 all nice and done and now I can get on to writing chapter 4!_

_**Furesesse1** – Hehe thanks, and I'm sure Dante will get exactly what he wants... eventually!_

_**Blackblade444** – We all love a mean Dante, or any kind of Dante really... Nero loves it really :P_

_**KawaiiYue** – Glad you liked it and yes, Dante has a very dirty mind!!! ^^_

_**Bitbyboth** – I'm glad it cracked you up, we need Dante to cheer up all the angst!_

_**SirenaLoreley** – I'm pleased my writing style is clear, I do wonder about it sometimes... and yes, Dante's thoughts are going to get even naughtier! ^^_

_**Shiya64** – Don't worry, your reviews do not suck! All reviews are awesome! And yes indeed, we may be seeing some of Dante's possessive side_

_Thanks again and enjoy!! ^^_

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**Chapter 3 – Unexpected Roadblock**

They'd been on the road for about an hour now and Nero was already fast asleep. Things had gone well back at the town; he'd been able to quit his job and hand over the keys to his flat with no trouble. Dante pulled into a petrol station and stopped by the only available pump to fill up his car, the other being occupied by a large Range Rover. They still had at least another two hours to go before they returned home. _Home_. He wondered if Nero would ever consider Devil May Cry to be home. He observed the younger slayer closely as he waited for the tank to fill, an absent smile on his face. The kid's silvery hair almost covered his eyes, a few soft strands catching in the icy breeze that blew momentarily through the station. His pale skin looked comfortingly warm and it almost seemed to glow under the gaze of the winter sun hovering low on the horizon. Nero looked so beautiful, but Dante couldn't ignore how cute he was, curled up in the passenger seat and wrapped in his blue denim coat.

Once the car was filled, Dante removed the pump and headed into the small shop to pay for the fuel. When he returned to his car, it was to his displeasure that two women were pointing at Nero and whispering. One of them giggled girlishly and blushed, sending a wave of feeling through Dante that he'd only felt so strongly once before. The same thing he felt when he thought of the kid being with Kyrie. Was it jealousy? He frowned slightly and cast a disgruntled look at the women before getting into the driver's seat. He glanced at Nero again, who shifted and smiled softly into the hood of his red jacket. Without waking him, he gently brushed some of the hair away from his eyes, his breath hitching in his throat slightly as he caught the feel of skin beneath his finger tips. The kid was his and no one else's. He sighed as he left the petrol station and returned the motorway; he'd really fallen for Nero. It was difficult to deny it now. It had truly been love at first sight.

"Hmm... Dante..." Nero's sleepy voice reached his ears.

Dante nearly drove the car off the road when the teen's voice gave him the distinct impression he was dreaming about him. But he regained his composure when he heard Nero stir and sit up, rubbing the tiredness from his eyes and yawning.

"You're finally awake then, sleepy head," Dante teased.

"Can it old man," Nero grumbled. "How long has it been?"

"About an hour, so another two to go."

He groaned. "That long."

"Sorry kid, I know I can do a lot of things, but I can't make time go any faster."

"I just want to go home."

Did he really think he was going home? "I wouldn't hope for that just yet," Dante replied with a small chuckle. "The plumbing needs fixing and I can't afford that right now, so no hot showers. I bet your crappy flat even had hot water."

At that instant, he smirked as he thought about how he could make Nero's showers a little warmer...

"Can't you fix it yourself?"

"Hey, do I look like a plumber to you?"

"You said you can do a lot of things."

"Tch."

Nero smirked. "Maybe it's a good thing that I'm coming with you after all. With the two of us doing jobs, we'll get more income so you can get someone in to fix your plumbing. Guess you needed my help after all."

"I didn't say you had to work for me, but it's sweet of you to offer."

Nero blushed. "I ain't sweet."

"No, I'm serious! It's sweet that you want to work for me."

"Stop saying that! I told you, I ain't fucking sweet."

"Not when you speak like that, anyway."

"You should be glad I'm helping ya, so quit teasing me."

Dante smirked. "Whatever you say kid."

Nero grumbled something that sounded suspiciously like 'not a fucking kid' under his breath before turning his head to look out of the side. He rested his arm on the car door and laid his chin against it, closing his eyes as the cold wind refreshed his tired face. He was glad that Dante rescued him from what was becoming a very gloomy existence, but he'd never tell the elder that. He'd never hear the end of that man's arrogance if he did.

"What the hell?" the other man's voice sounded preoccupied.

Nero dropped out of thought and looked around him, seeing that the motorway was now stretched across a bridge over a wide river with the traffic piling up ahead of them. Great, now this was going to add more time to the already too long a journey. So much for wanting to get home as quickly as possible and settle down into a new life with Dante at Devil May Cry. _With Dante..._

"Stop day dreaming kid!" Dante cut in.

"Sorry," Nero glanced at him. "Guess this means more than two hours then?"

"Damn it, can't you smell that? Or have a few months of delivering pizza dulled your senses?"

Now that he thought about it, he could definitely smell a strange scent in the air. All the normal smells were around; fumes from the cars mixed with oil grease, but it went deeper than that. He could smell fear and on top of that, bloodlust and something...

"Demons!" Nero gasped. "Backing up all this traffic?"

"Not quite," Dante replied, thinking for a moment. "I believe..."

At that moment, a large, ash grey claw appeared from underneath the bridge and slammed into the side of the road. An almost fluid black shadow spilled out over the road from the clawed hand and several Mephisto floated up out of the concrete. It was no wonder the traffic had been backed up; the air was so thick with the presence of this shadow that even humans would be able to sense the danger. The larger Demon still hidden underneath the bridge was obviously responsible for summoning the Mephisto.

"Alright kid," Dante began with a devilish grin. "Time to show me those moves of yours."

"What about you?" asked Nero.

"Someone needs to drive, so you prove to me that you've not fallen behind!"

Nero grinned. "You're asking for it old man."

Oh yes he most certainly was. Dante drove between the traffic until he could pull into the hard shoulder and sped along towards the small swarm of Mephisto. Nero stood up in his seat, reaching back behind it to retrieve Blue Rose, take aim at the devils and shoot them all down. Dante swerved to avoid one as it nearly hit the car, but Nero hand things under control as he snatched it with his Devil Bringer and slammed it into the road. As more of the Mephisto were shot down easily by Nero's bullets, the larger Demon had crawled up onto the motorway. It wasn't as big as they expected; barely reaching twenty feet and its oversized hands and long arms looked clumsy. It lowered its horned head and slightly twitched the mandibles protecting its face as it observed Nero with deep purple eyes, making the kid's demonic arm glow wildly.

Their gaze was pulled away from each other as Dante drove out in front of the backed up traffic, most of the people getting out of their vehicles to flee. The Demon tried to swat them with its massive hands, but its movements were too slow to out manoeuvre Dante's driving. Nero grabbed hold of the wind shield, cracking the glass as he held on to try and stop himself falling out of the car. Balance was tricky with Dante driving like this.

"You're steering this thing too madly!" Nero yelled.

"Do you want to become a permanent mark on this road?" Dante shouted back.

There was another jerk this time as the hand nearly got them, sharp nails raking off some of the paintwork. "Fair point."

"Go kick its arse, I need to park this somewhere."

"You're worried about your car _now_?!"

"I ain't walking home kid!"

Nero grumbled and reached for Red Queen behind the passenger seat, holstering Blue Rose to keep his demon arm free. He leapt from the car and grabbed hold of one of the Demon's horns with his Devil Bringer, glad to be free of that ridiculous speed. Dante drove off, a clear line ahead of him as Nero now held their opponent's attention. But he wasn't getting away for long; a Mephisto floated up beneath him and lifted the car into the air with ease.

"Oh come on, don't do that!" Dante growled.

The Mephisto propelled the car a small distance and it hit the ground with a crash, the left front wheel flying off and bouncing over the side of the bridge. Dante jumped from the car before it skidded to a halt, arming himself with Ebony and Ivory to swiftly take care of the Mephisto. He glanced back at his car sadly, hating to think how much it would cost to repair it.

"That was a damn good car too," he grumbled.

Further ahead, Nero was finding the Demon to be a little tougher than he expected. Although its movements were very slow and clumsy, it was armoured like an armadillo and even Red Queen was struggling to cut through it. He rolled away as the Demon's left hand tried to squash him into the road and he reached out with his Bringer to grab onto a horn. Screaming in frustration, it tossed its ugly head and Nero flew into the air, revving Red Queen as he aimed to hack off its tail on his descent. The blade sliced through the thick hide and severed the long, flailing tail clean off. The Demon screamed again, Nero being tossed to the ground on his back as it whipped round in fury. He reached for Blue Rose, but a large hand knocked him further back along the road and he dropped the gun some way from his feet.

"Crap," Nero uttered.

The Demon went for him again, but Nero felt a rush of cool air as someone jumped in front of him in a flash of red. Looking up, he saw that Dante was now stood between them, a small smirk playing on his handsome face and his twin guns aimed at the devil.

"You ain't playing fair," he said lazily as his blue eyes fixed on the Demon's purple ones.

It let out a blood curdling cry, spreading wide its pincer-like mandibles and showing off several sets of razor sharp teeth. Dante grinned and fired several rounds of bullets into the now unprotected face, fountains of blood raining down onto the road. The Demon backed away with a roar of pain, trying to protect its face but the damage had already been done. Dante leapt after it and took aim once again, firing the last round of bullets to finish it off. The defeated creature collapsed to the ground, spilling more blood onto the concrete until its body fizzled away into nothing. With a brief sigh, Dante holstered his guns and walked over to Nero, who was getting to his feet and rubbing the back of his head.

"Not bad kid," he noted. "But you can't beat me like that."

Nero scowled. "Its armour was pretty tough, you know."

"No excuses; you find its weak spot and take the opening when it comes." He bent down and picked up Blue Rose. "Here."

Nero's face turned a faint shade of pink as he took his signature gun from the elder hunter and holstered it. He glanced back down the road, just about managing to make out people slowly returning to their vehicles through the thinning darkness. Thanks to the strange shadow conjured by the Demon, no one would really have been able to see anything.

"Shall we get going?" he asked.

"Err... yeah..." Dante replied, suddenly remembering his car.

The two men walked back to where the Mephisto had thrown the red sports car, which was now exceptionally well scratched. The damage could have been a lot worse, but there was no way they'd be driving home with a wheel missing.

"Dante," Nero didn't sound impressed. "What...?"

"Mephisto," Dante responded with a shrug.

"How careless!"

"I told _you_ to take care of them!"

"I did! Don't make this out to be my fault!"

"Whatever, just help me with this, will ya?"

Hiding a quick snigger at ruffling the elder's feathers, Nero helped him push the wrecked car into the hard shoulder. He sat down on the hood, watching the traffic slowly get started again as Dante phoned for a rescue service. He looked up at the sky, glad for the sun and lack of clouds since they might be stuck out here for a while. If it was raining, they'd both end up really pissed off and not much good for company.

"They shouldn't be long," Dante explained as he came back and sat down next to Nero on the front of his car. "There's a small town about fifteen minutes off the motorway, so we can stay there while they fix this. So long as they don't ask questions."

Nero snorted. "That'd be fun."

"Let's hope they have somewhere decent to stay there."

"Well, you can't say the journey wasn't interesting."

"At least I didn't destroy the bridge."

"Then you'd be in trouble!"

Nero laughed, but stopped abruptly as Dante shoved him off the hood and onto the concrete. He glared up at the older man, folding his arms and looking as though he'd been mortally wounded. Now it was Dante's turn to laugh, but he still looked so cute.

"What the fuck was that for?" Nero exclaimed.

"That's what you get for laughing at me," Dante replied.

"You'd better not be like this when I'm living with you."

"How would you like me to be then?"

Nero blushed as he got to his feet. "You'd better not say any weird stuff again."

"So you wouldn't want me to keep you warm in the shower?"

"Seriously, you are a pervert!"

"You didn't say no."

"Of course I said no!"

Dante smirked as Nero sat back down again, being careful not to sit too close to the elder. So long as he thought he was only trying to annoy him, there was no harm in saying such things. But what if Nero started to think he was messing around all the time? He didn't want to ruin any chances he had with the kid, so maybe he should ease up a bit.

"Nero..." he said suddenly, trailing off a bit.

The younger looked startled. "What? You _never_ call me that!"

Dante shrugged. "Thought I'd give it a try."

Yes, he was very serious about Nero. But teasing him was just too much fun. His trademark smirk had returned by the time the tow truck arrived and both men got off the hood of the car.

"You'd better pray you can afford this," Nero muttered, then paused. "Dante."

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_And what a quick end to a really lame demon! I have a better one planned... I hope you enjoyed and I will update asap!  
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	4. Chapter 4 So Close

_Well, chapter 4 everyone and thanks again to all of you awesome people for your reviews!_

_**KawaiiYue** – Yay, *takes the cuppie cake* and you can have some cookies for reviewing! *hands cookies*_

_**Furesesse1 **– Thanks very much, I'm glad you are enjoying it!_

_**SirenaLoreley** – Haha, thanks for liking the Demon. Now you can enjoy what happens while they're waiting on the car!_

_**Tmelange** – tehe, I do think Dante and Nero are the best gaming couple ever!_

_**Bitbyboth** – thank you! I'm glad you like the dialogue!_

_**Shiya64** – Good to hear you're enjoying it, I was kind of worried the fight scene would suck..._

_I hope you continue to enjoy! (And there will be Yaoi, I promise!)_

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**Chapter 4 – So Close**

The two devil hunters were watching carefully as the young mechanic looked over the damaged car; Dante hoping for a cheap fee and Nero just wanting a quick repair job. Neither of them particularly wanted to end up staying in this place, but it wasn't looking good with the way the dark haired man was muttering to himself. He stopped to observe the front of the car where the wheel was missing, shaking his head slightly. Hopefully that didn't mean the vehicle was damaged beyond repair. The elder hunter glanced down at the younger, who returned the gaze with a disgruntled look. He was still blaming him for it. Dante chuckled, making a mental note to tease him about that later as the mechanic walked over to them.

"Good news or bad?" he queried, uncertainly.

"Well," the young man sighed, scratching the back of his neck. "The good news is that it ain't a right off, but the bad news is that it won't just be done in a few hours. Lucky for you, I've got a guy who'll do the job overnight and can get it on the road tomorrow afternoon.

"Sounds good to me. How much?"

"We'll see tomorrow; it depends on what actually needs doing."

That could be bad. "Whatever it takes, I want to be home as soon as possible."

"It should be done around midday."

"I'll be there. Thanks again."

"No problem, as long as you pay."

Dante grimaced a little until he thought of how empty his stomach was beginning to feel. "You wouldn't happen to know a place around here that does good pizza do you? The result of the... err... accident made us a little hungry."

"There's the Roadside Diner on the edge of town towards the motorway, but that's pretty much it really."

"Good, I'm starving. Let's go, kid."

Nero also thanked the man before the two of them left the mechanic to get on with the work. Dante groaned a little, running a hand through his silvery hair in frustration at having to spend another night in a strange place. Nero couldn't help but smirk at him, though it was probably best not to infuriate him any further, as the elder had been kind to offer him a better place to live.

"Get over it old man," he said with a shrug. "It was _your_ fault after all."

"I told ya before," Dante shot back. "_You_ were supposed to take care of the Mephisto!"

"Come on, just admit it! You were being careless!"

"Then _you_ admit that you hadn't taken care of all the..."

"I don't want to argue about this again."

"Fine with me kid, I'm too damned hungry anyway."

"Then you admit it?"

Dante shot him a look that could kill, but Nero only chuckled and continued to look pleased with himself. "Shall we find this Roadside Diner then?"

"If it's the only place that does pizza, then yeah."

Nero rolled his eyes skyward. "Do you ever eat anything else?"

They headed along through the small town, which was fairly deserted save for a few individuals. Larger groups of people seemed to be occupying the bars they walked passed; well, it was lunch time after all. It was a rather dusty, rundown place and they saw a few questionable looking shops on the way. Dante glanced at some of them with apparent interest, a small smirk on his lips. Nero glared at him, but his face blushed as their blue eyes met and the elder's smirk became more suggestive.

"Don't even try it," the younger growled.

"Don't you want to know what these isolated towns folk do for fun?" asked Dante, an air of mock innocence in his voice.

"No, I don't!"

"Ya never know, it might be interesting."

"Don't even go there, old man."

He shrugged. "Could at least see if they offer anything for a bit of light reading."

Nero scowled at him. "Do what you want, but I for one am hungry."

He picked up his pace somewhat, but Dante reached out and grabbed him by the wrist of his human hand, tugging him back until they were walking side by side again. He smiled at the younger hunter, who merely glowered more intensely and stepped a little bit away from him.

"Don't wander off kid," he warned him, playfully. "You might get lost or something."

"Dante this town is tiny!" Nero complained. "Three main streets if that."

"But the locals might snatch you off the street."

"Oh come on, why would they do that?"

Dante grinned evilly. "Attractive young man like you; who knows!"

Nero's cheeks reddened. "Whatever."

After another few minutes of walking, they found the Roadside Diner which was, as expected, situated at the side of the main road out of town leading back to the motorway. Compared to the rest of the place, the diner looked almost radiant but that might have been related to the severe hunger felt by both men. They wandered inside, the people who were already there turning around to stare at them with interest. It was probably the first time most of these guys had seen people walking around carrying swords, considering how dull the town appeared. But Nero felt rather smug as they approached the bar to order food; they weren't being watched threateningly, but more with an air of fascination. Especially from the young children.

"Travellers I take it?" asked the middle aged man behind the bar.

"You can say that," Dante noted, lightly.

"What can I get you?"

The elder glanced at Nero, who shrugged. "Two twelve inch pizzas; one with the full works but no olives and the other with extra cheese. Oh, and err..."

He looked at the younger again. "Anything else kid?"

"No, just pizza's fine with me," he replied.

Dante turned back to the barman. "And one strawberry sundae."

The barman raised an eyebrow. "That's on the children's menu."

Dante stared at him pointedly, Nero trying to stop himself from laughing. Eventually, the barman sighed and shook his head, indicating to one of the booths by the window. By the time the two men had crossed the room and sat down, Nero was unable to contain his laughter, which resulted in him almost banging his head on the glass.

"Something funny kid?" Dante queried.

"You're calling _me_ a kid?" Nero laughed. "After that?"

Dante glared. "I happen to like strawberry sundaes."

"So I see... _kid_..."

Nero continued his laugher, the elder hunter now smirking at him. Under the table, he kicked him hard on the right kneecap, causing him to fall backwards and slide off his seat onto the floor. Grumbling, but knowing that he deserved that, Nero managed to climb back onto the seat without hitting his head on the table. He gently massaged his aching knee and glared harshly at the other man, who was still smirking at him.

"Say you're sorry," Dante teased.

"Fuck you old man," Nero grumbled.

_Yes please_. "Don't say things like that in public," he leaned over the table to be closer to Nero, almost nose to nose with him. "But when we find a place to stay for the night, you can say that as much as you want."

"You really are disgusting, you know that?"

Dante leaned back in his seat. "Course I do."

Before Nero could shoot back an offensive remark, their food arrived. The pizza both looked and smelt delicious and surprisingly, there was hardly a trace of grease on the topping. Nero was almost salivating at the amazing smell because he was so hungry; the pizzas he used to deliver never smelt this good. Dante however, seemed to be complaining about it, much to his surprise. He glanced up from his heavenly looking meal to watch the elder hunter, who was picking off olives with a disgusted look on his face. Yeah, he _really_ hated olives.

"I thought you said no olives," Nero recalled.

"I did," Dante replied, shortly.

"Honestly, only _you_ could get so hung up over a pizza."

"Hey if I say no olives, I mean no olives!"

Nero watched as the older man continued picking away at the olives, smirking with an almost perverse satisfaction. "You know, that's pretty childish, picking off all the bits you don't like," Nero remarked. "Maybe you really are a kid, Dante."

The younger shifted closer to the window as one of the offending olives was flicked in his direction. "Shut it kid," Dante growled.

"Can't you just eat it?"

"I bet you pick those nasty green bits out of burgers."

"So what if I do?"

"Then you're a hypocrite."

Nero snickered. "Just eat your pizza old man."

Dante still continued to edit his pizza topping until it was edible, glancing across at Nero every so often. The kid was lost in his thoughts, gazing out at the clear blue skies and following the occasional car that drove by. He watched him bite into a fresh slice, a long string of hot cheese hanging from his mouth and still attached to the pizza. He was still staring as Nero lapped it up with his tongue and Dante quickly busied himself with his own food as his trousers became a little tight. Why did he have to eat a pizza like _that_?

"Good isn't it?" Nero asked with a mouthful.

Dante nodded. "Not bad, yeah."

"Your sundae's on its way too."

He glanced sidewise as the waitress walked over and placed the dessert next to his pizza. Nero couldn't help but snigger again, though at the first sign of a glare from the elder, he stopped to finish eating. He'd rather not have more olives flicked at him.

"Wise choice kid," Dante told him.

Nero stuck his tongue out and quickly prepared himself for another olive attack. However, all the other man did was quickly devour the rest of his pizza before shoving aside the now empty plate and heading straight for the strawberry sundae. Nero watched with interest, almost beginning to wish he'd ordered something else as well.

"Forget it," Dante noted suddenly. How did he always know when he was being watching? "Get your own."

"As if I'd get something from the children's menu."

"Go right ahead, k..."

"Call me kid and you'll get that sundae in your face."

Dante smirked as Nero glared at him, his blue eyes locked on those of the younger. As he gave up and turned to stare out of the window again, he couldn't help but want to feed the kid some of his dessert. His smirk grew as he continued to eat, imagining Nero naked, chained up to a bed with whipped cream and strawberry sauce slathering his body. His imaginary Nero slowly ran a finger up his torso to gather some cream, raising those fingers to his lips and sucking it off with a light moan. _Restrain yourself Dante_, he told himself as he felt his trousers become a little more uncomfortable. He'd rather not have to explain himself to the kid right now. As quickly as he could, he finished his strawberry sundae in a few mouthfuls and got to his feet.

"You're buying kid," he said, hurriedly. "Let's go find a place to stay."

The elder rushed out of the diner, leaving Nero feeling momentarily puzzled until he realised what had happened.

"Damn it Dante!" Nero cursed.

***

It hadn't taken long for them to discover that only one of the two motels had any vacancies, all of which were currently being cleaned. The woman, who could have been rather pretty if it weren't for the continuous smoking she did, had told them to come back later. That had been a relief for Nero, who had almost choked to death on the smoke. For the rest of the afternoon, they wandered aimlessly around the town trying to pass the time. Nero had even given up at one point and followed Dante into one of the shops that had caught his eye earlier. He had blushed furiously when he discovered that the owner's speciality was in gay pornography; that blush was made worse when they found that the only other customer was their mechanic. It turned out that the other guy he had mentioned who'd be fixing the car over night was his lover. Naturally, Dante found this all very amusing, but he was quickly dragged out by a very embarrassed Nero when he tried to purchase some magazines.

By the evening, they had stopped once more for food and then decided to check out some of the bars. In this instance, they were not permitted to enter with their weapons which they'd been forced to carry around due to the rooms at the motel being cleaned. They gave up on trying to find somewhere to have a drink when the fourth establishment barred their entry, so they returned to the motel. The young woman from earlier was still sitting behind the desk with a cigarette in her hand, much like the first time. Again like the first time, Nero started coughing.

"That ain't good for ya, babe," Dante told her.

"You still want a room?" her tone of voice was still as rude.

What a waste of a young woman. "Yeah, for me and my companion here."

"Sorry, we only have single rooms left."

Dante just about managed to hide his smirk as he glanced at Nero. "That okay kid?"

Nero shrugged. "Just ask for a roll-away."

As his coughing worsened, he left to get some fresh air; the atmosphere in the foyer was barely breathable. Dante noticed that the woman's long nails were stained yellow, suggesting that she smoked at least two packs a day. No wonder Nero couldn't breathe. However, with the kid outside, he was now in a position to be able to tease him further.

"We do have roll-aways if you want," the woman stated.

"Nah it's ok," Dante replied. "He can sleep with me."

She looked rather indifferent to that comment as she handed him the keys for the room and busied herself with lighting another cigarette. Dante was also glad for the fresh air when he got outside and joined Nero, who was sat on a bench and no longer coughing.

"All sorted," he informed him, grinning broadly.

"Did you ask for a roll-away?" Nero questioned.

"Sorry kid, they didn't have any. Looks like we're sharing."

"In your dreams old man, I'll take the floor."

_Oh, it certainly is in my dreams._ They didn't say much to each other as they found their room, mainly because Dante was too busy thinking how to convince Nero not to sleep on the floor. Their room was incredibly small and in all honesty, there wouldn't have been any space for a roll-away. Once they set their weapons down, Dante sat on the edge of the bed and glanced at Nero, who rubbed the side of his nose awkwardly.

"Not even a carpet," Dante observed. "Sure you want the floor?"

"I'm not sleeping next to you," Nero retorted.

The elder hunter didn't say a word, instead just getting to his feet and taking off his red leather coat. He watched as Nero's face reddened again, feeling rather satisfied with their current situation. He slowly removed his clothes, pausing every so often to glance at the teen, who was facing away from him and tentatively stripping to his silky blue boxers. Dante slipped into bed and watched as he began to try and make a comfortable patch to sleep on using his clothes. With a wicked smirk, he grabbed the kid by the waist and pulled him onto the bed with him, drawing the covers around both of them.

"What the fuck old man!" Nero yelled. "Too close!"

"Stop complaining," Dante replied. "Just go to sleep."

"I can sleep just fine on the floor!"

"If you say another word, I'll cuddle you all night."

Nero mumbled something under his breath and wriggled out of the elder's grasp, making sure he was as close to the edge of the bed as possible. With a small chuckle, Dante rolled over to face away from him with a satisfied smile on his lips. He sincerely hoped that he would wake before Nero, just so he could give him a big cuddle without him knowing. He sighed a little before closing his eyes to get some sleep; maybe someday, he'd be able to admit his feelings and on that day, he hoped the kid would return them.

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_... Dante is so naughty... I hope you enjoyed it and there is more to come!_


	5. Chapter 5 Why Does it Hurt

_Thanks again to everyone for the reviews, I'm really pleased this is so popular. This is quite a long chapter compared to the others, so I hope that is okay..._

_**Furesesse1** – yeah, he is such a prude isn't he?? Hehe_

_**SirenaLoreley** – thanks again and it's great that you like my descriptions!_

_**Bitbyboth** – haha, that was a great comment thank you! They're cute in bed together :3_

_**Shiya64** – Thank you, the food bit was quite fun to write (especially as I too hate olives)_

_Now for the next chapter. There is also a little hint at past VxD if you look closely... enjoy!_

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**Chapter 5 – Why Does it Hurt?**

_Warm... so warm... why is it so warm?_ Nero slowly opened his eyes as a slither of sunlight creeping through the window disturbed his sleep. Once his eyes became accustomed to the unwelcome morning light, he realised why he felt so warm. He was lying half curled up against Dante, who was sprawled out on his back with one leg hanging off the edge of the bed. Nero's face flushed bright crimson, his ear lobes even beginning to burn at the embarrassment of waking up cuddling Dante. After all, this was what the elder was threatening to do to _him_. But he still couldn't deny how pleasant it was to be so close to his warm, muscular frame. Nero moved to sit up, but he was caught off guard when his nose brushed over Dante's hair; he smelt of strawberries. He smiled for a brief moment as he observed his calm, sleeping face. He sighed deeply. He'd been thinking about the older half devil ever since they parted ways at Fortuna and being here, now, was like a dream come true. But feeling like this for such a man was futile. Why would he want the affections of a teenager like him when he could have any woman, or man for that matter, in the world?

But he could always pretend. Gently, Nero brushed a few strands of Dante's silvery hair away from his eyes, watching as a soft smile graced his features. His breath hitched and he soon found himself becoming involuntarily hard at the thought of that smile being for him. He glanced at the clock, realising that it was only another half an hour until they could collect the car and be on their way. They had both overslept. Before Dante awoke, Nero carefully slipped out of the bed, rushed into the bathroom and attempted to lock the door. However his efforts were rather fruitless and the door wouldn't even close properly, leaving a crack wide enough for someone to peek through. Damn. Hopefully Dante would remain fast asleep long enough for him to cure his problem without being heard or worse, seen.

Feeling somewhat anxious, Nero stepped into the shower cubical and closed the door, which was unfortunately not fogged glass. It was almost like this had been set up for his humiliation; maybe it was something else he could blame Dante for. Shrugging off that thought, he turned the dials and waited for the water to heat up. The shower pressure was rather atrocious, but at least the water was running at a near perfect temperature. The warmth washed away his nerves and once he'd relaxed enough, he had completely forgotten about the lack of privacy. Nero moaned a little, imaging Dante's warm, strong hands running over his shoulders and down across his chest. He sighed lightly, sliding his demonic hand over his abs and lower to his needy erection. Yet another thing to blame on Dante, but he didn't care as he began to stroke himself slowly. His bringer glowed dimly as he imagined it was the elder's hand and he picked up his pace, arching his back in bliss. He knew he couldn't have the real thing, but this was still so good.

"Dante..." he moaned lowly, trying to keep his voice down.

Before he knew what he was doing, his human hand slid down his back to his buttocks and his index finger was teasing the tight ring of muscle. He arched his back again and groaned, biting his lip as he heard that noise echo off the tiled walls and praying that Dante was still asleep. He moaned again as he slid that one finger inside, meeting it with a sharp jerk of his hips. His demon hand pumped harder as he added a second finger and quickly after, a third as he became lost in his thoughts of the elder. It was close enough, but something deep down told him it would never be enough.

"Hmm... oh yes..." Nero moaned again. "Oh D-Dante...!"

***

Dante was jolted roughly awake by the sound of water. He'd had another dream about a past fight with Vergil; it had been raining and he had not been the one standing at the end. Why was it always those kinds of fights that infested his dreams? He hadn't wanted to embarrass himself by having a sex dream whilst in bed with Nero, but he didn't exactly want a nightmare either. However, when he noticed that the kid was no longer next to him, he realised the sound of water was the shower and not rain. He breathed a sigh of relief; any dreams about his brother made him wake up in a sweat and that wasn't just the bad ones. He lay back down again and buried his face into the pillow, trying to cut off his chain of thought. It still smelt of Nero. He hugged it to him tightly, but saw the time on the clock and knew he needed to get up.

"Hurry up kid," he grumbled under his breath. "I need a..."

But he trailed off when he heard a soft moan float from the bathroom door. Choking back a surprised gasp, Dante quietly got out of bed and approached the door. Much to his surprise, it was open just enough for him to steal a quick glance through. _Am I really that perverted?_ He decided to ignore this opportunity, but another moan reached his ears and he stopped abruptly. _Yes_. Dante leaned in closer until he could see through the thin opening, a wide grin on his face when he saw that Nero wasn't hidden behind fogged glass. But he nearly stopped breathing when he saw the kid's Devil Bringer wrapped around his cock and a finger playing with his entrance. He arched his back beautifully, the hot water cascading down over taught muscles and making the scene even more inviting.

"Dante..."

He froze in shock as he heard the younger hunter moan his name. Was he just imagining things or was it really _his_ name that fell so erotically from those lips. He kept on watching for a moment longer, managing to contain his arousal as the younger thrust in a finger. But he didn't stop there; before long, two more fingers had joined the first and he moaned the elder's name again. This was just too much.

Tearing himself away from the fascinating display, Dante quickly dressed and decided it was best to fetch the car before he ended up in the same position as Nero. He scribbled a note explaining his whereabouts and left the room without making too much noise. The fresh air was rather invigorating and he managed to clear his head of all the images of Nero in the shower. However that only made Dante feel confused. He had been teasing the poor kid a lot but deep down, the root of all that teasing was an attempt to try and hit on him as gently as possible. He had to face the fact that Nero was still a hormonal teenager and was probably only lusting after his body. He should have been used to that idea by now; after all, it never bothered him before when women and men in the past had done the same. But this time was different. Now, his feelings were involved as well and that almost scared Dante. _Damn it kid_.

***

Thankfully, Nero managed to finish off quickly and he washed himself thoroughly under the warm water. He had held back as much noise as possible, but was aware that some had escaped. He turned the taps off and stepped out of the cubical, reaching for a towel and drying himself off. He glanced into the slightly steamed and cracked mirror, just about managing to make out that his face was not as flushed it could have been. Breathing a sigh of relief, he rested the towel on his head to pull on his boxers and leave the bathroom, ruffling his hair dry in the process. However he saw immediately that Dante was gone, along with his clothes. Nero's heart raced for a moment when he thought the elder had abandoned him, but he settled down when he saw Rebellion propped up against the wall next to Red Queen.

"Jesus Dante," he sighed. "You could have..."

He paused and blushed, remembering what he had been doing in the shower. Had the elder heard anything? Had the dirty old pervert looked in on him? Nero looked around and spied the note left on the dresser that was written in Dante's handwriting. He picked it up and read that he was away fetching the car while he was in the shower. That felt almost relieving. What had he expected it to say? _Hey kid, I heard ya jacking off to me in the shower so I've gone to get the car_. Those words came to his head in Dante's voice far too easily for his liking.

Knowing that Dante could arrive at any moment as he didn't hear him leave, Nero picked up his clothes and began to get dressed. In fact, the instant he holstered Blue Rose, the door opened and he heard heavy footsteps along with a happy sounding car engine. This either meant the elder had left at the start of his shower, or he had pleasured himself for a lot longer than he thought. Judging by Dante's smug grin, a part of him gathered it was probably the latter.

"Let's go kid," the other man noted, happily. "It's all fixed!"

"So, how much did it cost?" queried Nero with a note of humour.

"Actually it wasn't too bad, especially with the discount I got."

"Discount?" Nero raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"You remember seeing the mechanic in that shop last night?"

He blushed. "Err... yeah..."

"Well, he thought you were cute and gave me a discount because of that, despite the fact he said he was a bit jealous of me. Even his lover wasn't annoyed at him doing that, but he said he would punish him later."

"Please tell me you're joking, old man."

"Would I?"

Nero couldn't tell, but he had somehow anticipated the mechanic suggesting they were lovers after last night. With a harsh scowl, he picked up Red Queen and tossed Rebellion to Dante, who was still grinning. He pushed passed the elder and headed over to the car.

"Stay there for a minute," Dante told him. "I'll go and pay."

Nero slid his sword behind the passenger seat and sat in the car to wait. Now he was glad he didn't go to the garage. Not only would he have suffered the mechanic thinking he was cute, he'd also have Dante playing along with the whole 'lovers' idea. He held his head in his hands and groaned, almost wishing it could be true.

***

The trip back to Devil May Cry was rather uneventful and they arrived back home with the car in one piece. From his first impressions, Nero thought Dante's town was much bigger and looked far more interesting than Fortuna was. The only thing his former home had going for it was that it was prettier. The shop where Dante lived was also bigger than he imagined; somehow, he always had the idea that it should be a small, out of the way place. Nero had to smirk at the bright neon red sign, the letters spelling out Devil May Cry for all to see. If that was the way the elder hunter attracted business, then it was no wonder he was hard up.

"Well kid," Dante said in a relaxed tone as he parked the car. "Home sweet home."

"I haven't quite decided on the 'sweet' part yet," Nero replied.

"Neither have I!"

The older half devil chuckled to himself as he got out of the car, collected Rebellion and waited for Nero to join him on the top step when he collected his bags from the boot. The inside of the shop, oddly enough, was exactly as Nero had pictured aside from the size; spacious with scattered furnishings, a pool table and an armoury of weapons behind the old oak desk. The place smelt of pizza, which was unsurprising as the desk was littered with old boxes, one of them open and still holding a few slices.

"You left pizza out on the table?" Nero sounded stunned.

"Yeah, I forgot to put it in the fridge when I left on the mission; I was rather annoyed at Lady at the time, so it slipped my mind," Dante explained with a shrug. "Do you think if I microwave it it'll still be okay to eat?"

"No you moron!"

"Shame to waste it."

"Just throw it out, old man!"

"You want to play housekeeper, you throw it out."

Nero glared at him. "Do you want me to shove that pizza up your arse?"

"Hold it kid! I love pizza, but not _that_ much."

"What did I say about you saying weird things?"

Dante just laughed as Nero wandered over to his old jukebox and inspected it with fascination. They'd only just walked through the door and already they were arguing like an old married couple. He smirked at that thought and walked over to Nero, taking the leather bag from him and startling him a little.

"I have a spare room upstairs, I'll let you get settled and you can unpack," he explained.

"Don't you have work to do?" Nero queried.

"Yes; I'm avoiding paying Lady until tomorrow."

The younger smirked as he followed Dante upstairs. "That desperate to hang on to such miserable pay?"

"Hey, I'd actually like to eat today, so yeah."

"What about the plumbing?"

"I still can't afford that right now."

Nero sighed. "Cold showers then."

"Yes indeed, of which I have been putting up with for a lot longer than you have. In fact I'll need one right now since you stole it at the motel this morning. Honestly, can you not take short showers? What the hell were you doing in there?"

Nero's face reddened and Dante couldn't hold back his laugh; he knew exactly what the kid had been doing. The spare room was rather compact, but at least it felt warm and looked clean. Living here probably wouldn't be too bad, even with all the teasing Dante was constantly throwing his way.

"Make yourself at home, I need a shower and then we can go out," the elder told him.

"Go out?" Nero whined. "But we've just got back!"

"Listen, if Lady drops by to grab my money, I don't want to be here! If we wander around town for a bit and avoid coming home, I'll miss seeing her. Besides, I didn't see any clubs when I was in Fortuna, so I bet you want to check out a proper nightlife."

"Not really..."

"Ah you'll enjoy it, I promise!"

Nero rolled his eyes. "Yeah I bet I will."

Dante ignored his sarcasm. "Just unpack and we can get going."

He shut the door and left to have his shower, hoping that his plan to get the kid's attention tonight would work. If not, then he'd have to wait for Nero to come to him; he didn't want to say the wrong thing and ruin their friendship. Within ten minutes, they escaped the shop and onto the streets of the town, managing to not run into Lady in the process. As the afternoon quickly disappeared, mostly due to spending so long eating in Dante's favourite diner, Nero was beginning to enjoy himself. But as midnight approached, he began to feel uncomfortable when the elder took him to visit one of the clubs he frequented.

"Love Planet?" Nero questioned with distaste. "You're kidding, right?"

"Not on your life!" Dante clapped him playfully on the back.

"This is so wrong on many levels, old man."

"Don't be such a prude kid, now come on."

Much to his annoyance, Nero quickly found an arm slung over his shoulders as he was led into the strip club. He could feel his face burning already. The place smelt disgusting with an air of booze and what was almost arousal, a combination he wasn't that familiar with. Why the hell did Dante think he'd like _this_? For starters, he didn't like women in that way. _Oh wait, I haven't told him that yet_. In which case, it was entirely his fault, even though he still cursed on the inside as he followed Dante over to the bar.

"Ah Dante, it's been a while!" the woman greeted with a suggestive tone in her sickly sweet voice. "The usual?"

"Yeah, plus a beer for the kid, babe," Dante replied.

"Don't call me kid to other people," Nero grumbled under his breath.

"Lighten up! A good beer will do ya good!"

"I haven't drunk before."

"Well, there's a first time for everything."

Nero ignored that comment as he took his beer and sat down at the bar, feeling rather tense. He watched as the elder hunter walked off, heading for the seats by the stage where a few scantily dressed women were dancing. So this was how it was, eh? Dante probably didn't even notice that he wasn't there anymore. Sighing, Nero tasted a bit of his beer and to his surprise, it wasn't that bad. He continued to drink as he looked back to where Dante was; he was just watching and appeared oblivious to everything else around him. This just plain sucked. It probably wouldn't be long until Nero was completely forgotten and the old pervert wandered off with one of the strippers. He downed the rest of the bottle and slammed it down a little harder than he intended, immediately catching the attention of the barwoman.

"Off to join your friend?" she asked with a playful wink.

"He wishes," Nero replied, his irritation failing to stay inside.

The woman frowned slightly. "Not having a good night?"

"This was _his_ idea, not mine."

Nero hopped down from his barstool and stalked to the men's bathroom. It smelt even worse in here than it did outside; humans were so lucky not to be able to smell things on this level. _Stupid demon senses_, Nero thought with displeasure as he freshened up before leaving to track down the elder. But when he searched, there was no sign of the bastard anywhere. Fuming at being left in a place like this, Nero stormed out of the club into the cold night air. Sure, at first he was jealous at the thought of Dante picking up a random girl, but now he was just mad. He wandered back down the streets to Devil May Cry, almost kicking down the doors when he arrived.

"Dante!" he yelled. "You'd better fucking be in here!"

No response. "I'll kick your arse you son of a..."

But it was clear by now that Dante wasn't here. Feeling his anger boil again, he ran out of the shop, not really knowing what to do. He was half tempted to pack up and leave until his Devil Bringer started glowing a bright azure. The elder was nearby. Suddenly, he looked upwards and it clicked; he was up on the roof of all places. Quickly, Nero dashed around the back of the shop to find a way to the top. After slipping around a bit, he saw Dante lying down on one of the flatter areas, arms behind his head and looking at the clear, starry sky.

"There you are!" Nero exclaimed. "What the fuck do you call this?"

Dante looked over as the other man sat down next to him, his anger and irritation clear on his face. It seemed like his plan to make Nero jealous backfired. Sighing, he shrugged his shoulders and turned his gaze back to the stars.

"Sorry," he said simply.

"What?" Nero nearly choking in disbelief. "Is sorry all you've got? Damn it, you left me alone in that place when I didn't even want to be there! You didn't even look for me, what the hell is..."

"I thought you were with me and when I couldn't find you, I left."

"Oh great, so you just figured I'd gone home?"

Dante didn't reply so Nero huffed again. "You seemed to be enjoying yourself anyway."

"Who knows. I should have enjoyed it, but... I don't know."

"I should have known that you'd pull something like this. My first night here and you drag me off to some hell hole of a bar and then, the first chance you get, you ditch me for the chance to pull some half naked chick."

"Is that really what you think of me, kid?"

Nero glanced at him when he heard the hurt sound in Dante's voice. "Well... I..."

"Don't push yourself," he got to his feet. "I'm turning in early."

"Hey, wait! Dante!"

He heard the kid calling him, but he ignored him as he jumped down from the roof and walked back to the shop. He shrugged off his red trench coat and hung it on the stand, not looking behind him as the doors opened. He made his way upstairs but a hand grabbed his arm.

"Dante!" Nero exclaimed. "What..."

"Let go of me," Dante growled. "Don't touch me unless you mean it."

As Nero's eyes widened, he realised what he'd just said. Without another word, he shoved the kid away and walked upstairs to his bedroom, slamming the door shut behind him. _Damn, what the fuck is wrong with me?_ Feeling rather pissed off at himself for behaving like an adolescent, Dante kicked off his boots and lay down on his double bed. He really had been losing interest in the women at Love Planet recently and now he knew why. He heard Nero walking around outside and eventually, the slamming of a door in the direction of his room. Sighing, Dante closed his eyes, unable to prevent a single tear rolling down his cheek. Mentally kicking himself for being an idiot, he turned onto his side and tried to ignore the image of a happy, smiling Nero that came unbidden to his mind. _Fuck, it shouldn't hurt like this_.

"I love you kid," he whispered softly into his pillow.

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_Well, Dante epic failed there didn't he? It may seem a bit OOC for him to shed a tear, but I'm sure he does when no one's looking... stay tuned and hope you enjoyed!  
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	6. Chapter 6 Frustration

_I'm not really sure what happened with chapter 4, I got the message back saying it had been uploaded after I did chapter 5... but it had been up for few days... confusing! :O But thanks again for all your reviews!!_

_**Bitbyboth – **Thanks, I was a bit worried it would be too OOC for Dante_

_**Tmelange** – Haha, I'm sure Nero will lighten up soon enough!_

_**Shiya64** – all you're reviews mean a lot, so they are not bad!! Keep it up! ^^_

_**Atom-bomb** – I'm glad you've been enjoying it, and thanks a lot for the review on the previous chapter also!_

_**Evaniel** – Thanks, and I do get the impression from DMC4 that Capcom support Yaoi (I want it in the fifth game so bad...)! It's great that guys enjoy Yaoi too ^^_

_**SirenaLoreley** – Thanks again and yeah they do need to talk (or Lady playing matchmaker ^^)_

_So onwards and this one's back more to the length of previous chapters. Enjoy!_

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**Chapter 6 – Frustration**

Compared to how he felt the previous night, Dante work up feeling surprisingly refreshed, even though he had woken up in the middle of the night to finally take his clothes off. He had expected his dreams to be filled with all of the unpleasant ways Nero would reject him, but thankfully he hadn't dreamt of anything. He stretched and sat up, running his fingers through his hair and sighing. Looking back on it, what happened last night was entirely his own fault. All he'd needed to do was hang around a bit longer and the kid would have shown up; after all, why would he have decided to go home on his own without yelling at him first? But no, like an idiot, he simply left. The fact that he was bored had nothing to do with it, but it had everything to do with him imagining that the half naked, pole dancing woman in front of him was Nero. If he had gone in search of the younger hunter at that moment, then he wouldn't have been able to stop himself doing something he'd regret. It was rather frustrating.

Dante was abruptly pulled from his thoughts as he began to smell something rather appetising downstairs. Someone was cooking breakfast and he was nearly salivating. Forgetting about his frustrations, he quickly leapt out of bed, pulled on his tight leather trousers and left his room. The amazing smell only grew stronger as he walked downstairs and spied Nero standing by the stove through the open kitchen door. Whatever he was cooking certainly seemed better than the microwaved pizza he usually had. He sauntered in slowly, noticing that the kid was busy listening to the music that partially leaked out of his headphones. Dante leaned against the work surface to watch him. He knew he should still be upset about what Nero had said to him last night, but he just looked so fuckable. Besides, a man his age shouldn't hold petty grudges after all and if he wanted some of that full English breakfast...

"Morning," Nero greeted, absently.

"Looks good kid," Dante replied, deciding to act normally.

"I was up about two hours ago and the first thing I noticed was that the only stuff you have in this fridge was a few slices of four day old pizza. So I went to the store and bought some stuff to make a proper breakfast."

"How thoughtful..."

Nero sighed and tugged his headphones off. "Listen, I said some pretty bad things to you last night and I really am sorry. I was just pissed at you for leaving me. I'm not saying that this makes up for anything, but I need to start somewhere."

"Yeah, you did say some bad stuff. I'd rather you didn't judge me like that."

The younger glanced back to the bacon he was presently frying, but Dante laid a hand on his shoulder. "But at least you're good enough to apologise."

With a small smile, he removed his hand and left the kitchen to sit at his desk. He put his feet up and leaned back, relaxing at the wonderful smell of home cooked breakfast and allowing his mind to wander. But he was unable to conjure up any happy thoughts. Nero had apologised sincerely for what happened last night, but that didn't necessarily indicate he didn't mean what he said. Perhaps he honestly had that impression of him, as much as the thought hurt. Perhaps trying to attract the younger part devil by making him feel jealous had been a bad idea, but what if they really were his true feelings? Dante had promised him a place to stay, but how awkward could things get if they were on edge all the time?

"Here," Nero's voice cut through his thoughts. "You'd better appreciate this, old man."

The kid was trying to act normal and somehow, that irritated him. "Hey, I never asked you to do this," Dante replied, failing to remove the sharp tone from his voice. "It's your guilty conscience that wanted to do this for me."

"Whatever."

He watched as Nero scowled and stalked across the room to lay back on one of the red leather sofas. The tension in the room was so thick it could be cut with a knife. Trying to ignore it as well as he could, Dante turned his attention to the delicious breakfast in front of him and devoured it. He really did need to be appreciative, it was the best meal he'd had for a long time. He didn't waste his time as he finished it, but he still managed to notice the other pair of blue eyes observing him from across the room.

"That was damn good kid!" Dante said approvingly.

He got to his feet and entered the kitchen to dump the plate into the sink for later attention. The advantage of ordering pizza was that it didn't involve washing up, but good food was worth the extra effort sometimes. As he wandered back out of the door, he saw that Nero was now stood leaning against his desk and staring at his feet. Things were tense again.

"I wasn't joking," Dante noted. "It was good."

"Well don't get too used to it," Nero replied. "I'm not going to be hanging around here for long. I'll stay long enough to take some work and pay you back for your hospitality and then I'm out of here. I'm sorry Dante, but I..."

"You've only been here one night and you want to leave already?"

"I'll only be a pain in the arse if I stay and I don't want to be in your way."

"Who says you'll be in the way?"

"I don't think this will work, so..."

"So you'll run away and hide like you did from Fortuna, right?"

Nero's eyes widened but he still refused to look at the older man. "I'm _not_ hiding!"

"Sure you are. You can't face up to things, so you hide from them."

"_What_?"

"That's what happened in Fortuna, wasn't it? The people got scared of you, didn't trust you and then you lost your little comfort blanket in Kyrie. So, instead of standing up for yourself, you ran away. Now it's the same with me; you hurt my feelings and you're running away from me."

The younger man was angry now. "What the fuck do you know?"

"I can read you like a book. Just stand up for yourself!"

"I'm not trying to hide from you..."

"Alright then, prove it. You prove to me, right now, that this has absolutely nothing to do with me and that you really want to leave. Show me that you want to give up what I offered because you genuinely want to be somewhere else..."

"Shut up!"

Dante moved towards him. "I'm waiting, kid."

"Stop calling me kid, _old man_!"

Closer. "Still waiting."

"Asshole!"

_Closer_. "Punk bitch."

Before Nero could say anything else, Dante had completely closed the gap between them and meshed their lips together. There was nothing gentle about the kiss; it was hard, aggressive and lacked restraint. But Nero was powerless to resist. Slowly, Dante moved his hands to grip the younger's waist, grunting a little as his kiss was returned. He gently tapped the other's bottom lip with his tongue and slid the warm muscle inside when entrance was granted. The kid tasted wonderful and it was better than anything in his dreams. He'd completely forgotten why he was irritated with him as he felt Nero's tongue massaging his own.

Dante carefully pushed Nero back against the desk, deepening the kiss and smiling a little as he felt arms come up about his neck. He slipped his knee between the younger's thighs and rubbed slowly, earning a moan and fingers threading through his silvery hair. He had expected Nero to resist, to shove him away and storm out of the shop, but no. He had been so wrong. Whether it was lust driven by hormones, it didn't matter anymore. What he wanted was right here in his grasp and after this, there was no way he was letting the kid walk out of his life. He shuddered sensually as he felt demonic fingers run down his naked back and he pressed Nero harder against the desk. The younger groaned this time, one leg reaching up to hook around the inside of Dante's knee in order to pull them closer. Dante felt fire building in his chest and he pressed himself closer to Nero; he'd never want anything else...

"DANTE!" the loud yell that almost shattered every window in the room was accompanied by the doors to the office slamming open. "I'm going to kick your..."

At the sound of a woman's voice, Nero shoved Dante away, his breathing erratic as he tried to take in oxygen after his long kiss with the elder. Both men glanced towards the open doors to see Lady standing there, dangerously clutching a gun in one hand and with a rather bemused expression on her face. Blushing madly at being caught in a somewhat heated kiss with Dante, Nero moved away quickly and stood on the opposite side of the desk. The other man simply glared.

"You could knock before bothering me," he grumbled.

"Oh sorry, was I interrupting?" Lady queried, mockingly.

"What do you think?"

"You're asking _me_ that? I think that you're a coward to try and hide just so you can have a pitiful amount of cash for a little longer. I came by at least five times yesterday and you were nowhere to be found! I have to say Dante; I'm impressed you can actually be discreet."

"Can't you give me a break every once in a while?"

"Let me think... no."

"Then take your damn money and leave me alone!"

Dante opened one of the drawers in his desk and took out a wad of cash that had been hidden under a few magazines. He slammed it down on the desk, crossing his arms to show his annoyance as Lady walked over to claim her reward. She slipped the money into the inside pocket of her jacket and quickly took aim with her gun and shot Dante in the foot. He jumped upwards slightly from the sudden shock and fell against his chair, unable to decide who to glare at; his attacker or the laughing Nero.

"What the fuck was that for?" he demanded.

"For being an arse," Lady replied with a smirk. "Next time, when I plan to collect anything you owe me, make sure you're around."

"Tch," Dante rubbed at his foot as it healed, the remaining blood dripping onto the floor. "Can you get out of here now? I have things I need to discuss with Nero."

Lady aimed her gun at him again. "So polite."

"Will you put that thing down?!"

She laughed. "As if I could really damage _you_ with this?"

"You enjoy this, don't you?"

"Every second."

She winked playfully at Nero, who snickered, much to Dante's displeasure. Holstering the gun, Lady wandered over to the pool table and leaned against it, absently playing with the square of chalk between her fingers.

"So, how did you manage to find Dante?" she asked Nero.

He rubbed the side of his nose. "By accident..."

"He delivered me a pizza," Dante interrupted, now wearing his trademark smirk.

"Really?" Lady chuckled. "Love at first sight then?"

Nero blushed a colour to put Dante's coat to shame. "I was kicked out of Fortuna and I ran into this asshole at a town I lived in. I was going to stay here for a while and work for him before moving out on my own."

"I'm still working on convincing him to stay permanently," the elder added.

"So that's what _that_ was then, old man!" Nero snapped.

"You just don't get it, do you kid?"

"Get what, that you're a fucking pervert?"

"For your information, I..."

"Boys, boys!" Lady cut in, half tempted to shoot both of them. "If you're going to have a lover's tiff, then can you please do so when I'm not here."

"Who says I'm his lover?" Nero growled.

"Well, you were making out pretty fiercely when I got here."

"That was _his_ doing, I'm not his goddamn boyfriend."

She raised an eyebrow. "So he hasn't..."

"Oi Lady," Dante interrupted quickly. "I did say you were barging in on our privacy."

She rolled her mismatched eyes skyward. _The idiot really hasn't told him!_ "It'll have to wait."

Dante sighed. "I take it this means you're not leaving."

"No. Believe it or not, I actually came here for a reason other than collecting more debt payment. I have a mission for you."

"Forget it."

"Like you have a choice with how much you owe me? Or maybe you enjoy cold showers."

Dante shot her a look that could kill. "Listen, you already pissed me off with the last one..."

"Didn't you appreciate it?"

"This better be worth my time, Lady."

"Oh I think you'll find this more to your liking."

"Spit it out then, I haven't got all day."

"A few miles north from here is a small village. A woman contacted me saying that a demon had killed their family pet and kidnapped her six year old daughter. She promised a good reward for anyone who could track down the monster and rescue her little girl."

"What would a demon want with a kid?"

Lady shrugged. "Beats me."

Dante sighed. "Fine, give me the address."

She took a piece of paper out of her inside pocket and placed it on the pool table. "Don't forget that a person's life is possibly at risk here; it's not just about killing the demon. If that girl dies, you'll be in a world of pain."

"I take it you're not gracing me with your presence on this job?"

"Don't be ridiculous, as if I'd want to take a mission with you. I figured you could handle it and besides, I've got my own job to do and you still owe me. Trish said she'd drop by if you took too long; she thinks there's something strange going on with that demon snatching a child."

"Maybe."

"Anyway, you can take Nero with you."

She smirked and turned to leave. "Play nice."

Nero's face reddened again at that comment and he refused to look at Dante once Lady had left the shop and driven off on her bike. The elder hunter sighed and approached the pool table, picking up the piece of paper to inspect the address. Since their little encounter and Lady's sudden visit, the tension had completely lifted. Nero was glad to go on a mission and he hoped that fighting another demon would cool off any personal conflict that had arisen between them. He didn't know why the elder kissed him, but he didn't want to think about it too much.

"You'd better get dressed old man," Nero noted.

Dante looked at him and smirked. "This too hot for ya?"

"You won't be feeling hot out there."

"Then get your gear, it's our first mission together."

"Better hope you can keep up."

"That's my line, kid."

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_Yeah, so Lady already knew that Dante was in love with Nero (she knows everything!)... hope you enjoyed and I'll update soon._

_This will also probably make an appearance on my deviantart account, if I can be bothered with their annoying text uploader (reformatting and html is a pain...)  
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	7. Chapter 7 Uncertainty

_Late update is late... I've been a bit busy with travelling back home from Uni, but here is the next chapter! Thanks again for everyone's reviews, you are all awesome!!_

_**Furesesse1** – I always figured Lady to be the 'interrupt hot moments' type and thanks for the cookies!!_

_**SirenaLoreley** – Glad you're still enjoying it and soon you will know about the demon!_

_**Tmelange** – A brilliant review, thank you! And thanks again for enjoying to development of their relationship_

_**KawaiiYue** – Do they come in Dante flavour?? And you should try writing some time, everyone has their own way of writing and it's good to share for experience._

_**Evaniel** – Thanks again and yeah, Nero's certainly playing hard to get!_

_**Bitbyboth** – Great to see you're still enjoying the tension between them!_

_**Toolazytologin** – I added the OOC warning just in case, I try to keep them in character as much as possible, I'm just being cautious._

_I hope you enjoy and I'll try not to keep you waiting so long for the next update..._

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**Chapter 7 – Uncertainty**

After losing the race to Dante's bike, Nero ended up riding behind the elder hunter with both Red Queen and Rebellion strapped to his back. Dante was grinning broadly as he could feel the embarrassment radiating from his passenger in waves. The feeling was enough to set his inner demon off, dancing victoriously. There was something incredibly sexy about having Nero ride behind him, his hands tentatively grasping him around the waist. And of course, there was no way in hell that Devil Hunter Dante would be riding bitch.

"You okay back there kiddo?" he asked over his shoulder.

"Marvellous," Nero sneered, his face bright red.

"You should be flattered!" Dante chuckled. "I rarely let anyone ride with me on a bike, so think of it as a privilege. Besides, you're the passenger of the sexiest man in the world, doesn't that make you hot?"

"You wish."

_Yes I really do._ "And you make one cute passenger!"

"Shut up and go faster will ya."

Dante snickered as those words were twisted in meaning by his mind. "Eager are we?"

"The less time I'm behind you, the better."

"Ah, so you'd rather _I_ was behind _you_?"

"Dante!"

The red clad hunter laughed, knowing that the only reason Nero didn't try to beat him to death with his Bringer was because he'd crash. Not wanting to drive the kid over the edge and risk destroying his bike, Dante decided to lay off the teasing. With the way they'd been around each other since getting back to Devil May Cry, it was possible they'd end up bickering whilst fighting demons. That was a situation best avoided, regardless of how much Dante wanted to talk to Nero about the kiss and what it really meant. The last thing he wanted was to scare off the man of his dreams. _Damn, did I really just think of him as that?_ He silently cursed Lady for the interruption, especially considering the fact that she knew about his unspoken love. How did she find out, anyway? He guessed it was women's intuition, something that often put demonic senses to shame.

"Do you think that the girl will be okay, old man?" Nero asked suddenly.

Dante sighed. "Hopefully, my paycheque depends on it."

"You can be so cold, you know that?"

"Got a problem with that, kid?"

"Not really, but she's only a girl."

"Then she's lucky that we're going to rescue her."

"Good, because if she gets hurt, it'll be your fault and I'll kick your sorry arse."

"What are you being so overprotective for?"

"Hey, it's hard on a kid her age to find out that monsters aren't just something made up in stories to scare them. She'll be terrified out of her mind and will want someone to rescue her. She needs to know that whenever she's in trouble, there will be someone to protect her."

Dante bit his lip; he was still hung up about Kyrie. "Then we'd best get to it."

He picked up some speed, focussing back on the road as Nero became silent. When he first met him in Fortuna, he knew that the younger man had done everything in his power to protect Kyrie. After everything he did for her, she hated him. The kid had ultimately been hurt deeply by his 'sister'; the one person in the world who he'd cared about the most in his life. Dante knew all too well what it was like to have your heart broken by a sibling. All he wanted to do was to hold Nero and assure him that he'd never be hurt again. Deep down, both men had a need to be loved and he wanted to be that person for Nero. Perhaps if he ever went back to Fortuna one day, he'd give Kyrie a good slap. He wasn't the type to hit a woman, but some deserved it, even humans; her kind were the worst.

Eventually, they arrived at the small village and they rode through it slowly, looking for the right house number. Nero thought the village looked cute and the houses reminded him of the places couples had in the sappy romance films Kyrie used to watch. How he hated those movies; life was _never_ like that. In the real world, there was no way she would 'see the light' and want him back in her life; she'd hate him to the bitter end. After a moment or two, the teen pointed out a small house with a front made of white painted wooden panels. Dante pulled into the driveway and parked the bike alongside a yellow Mini, both men heading towards the door.

"Here, I'm not lugging this around for you," Nero held out Rebellion.

"Heh, as if I'd let ya," Dante smirked as he took it.

He knocked on the door and waited for an answer, taking his time to notice how quiet the place was. The door immediately swung open and it appeared as though the woman on the other side had been standing there all day, waiting for them to show up. Her eyes were bloodshot and she looked terrible; she was obviously worried sick about her daughter. Nero felt a twinge inside as he imagined how it would feel to have a parent love you like that.

"Are you from Devil May Cry?" she asked, her voice cracking with emotion.

"Yes," Dante replied. "I'm Dante, this is my partner Nero."

"It's almost a relief to know that you don't work alone."

"Anything to protect someone in danger," Nero told her, smiling.

Dante glanced at him briefly. "Did you see what happened?"

The woman shook her head. "I heard my little girl scream that the cat was dead and there was a monster in her room. I ran upstairs to check on her and she was nowhere to be found, or the cat's body. The window was open and I saw tracks out of the back leading to the woods but I didn't dare follow. I didn't know what to do."

"It's okay, we can handle it," Nero assured her.

"Can you point us in the right direction?" asked Dante.

The woman nodded and she walked out of the doorway, leading the two devil hunters around to the back of the house. Over the garden fence was an open expanse of field separating the houses from a small, sparsely populated wood. There were no damaged panels on the fence which suggested the demon was able to jump it with no effort. The open window to the girl's bedroom was on the second floor of the house, which was a decent height to jump from without damaging the ground. Not only was it agile, it was light on its feet and Dante was anticipating a decent fight. He really needed something to challenge him right now.

"They continue over the fence," the women explained, showing them the tracks.

Both the elder and Nero observed the prints on the muddy ground, noticing that they looked like an odd mix between clawed hands and giant paws. Dante remembered the woman saying the cat's body wasn't found. That was it! The demon had either been the cat or possessed it, thus having easy access to kidnap the child. The next question was why and this was what interested Trish. It did all seem a little strange.

"Can you track it down?" asked the woman, nervously.

"Shouldn't be a problem," Dante replied.

"Please save my daughter, she's all I have."

"Don't worry, devil hunting is my speciality."

Nero rolled his eyes skyward; there really was no end to the man's arrogance. The two hunters vaulted the fence and followed the tracks which headed across the field towards the opening of the woods. There was no scent of the demon yet and they needed to be cautious with the wind blowing towards the trees. If the demon became alerted to any kind of danger, it might attack the girl. A six year old would have no chance.

"It's the cat right?" queried Nero.

"Well done kid," Dante replied, almost teasingly. "You catch on quickly."

"The tracks kind of give it away."

"Good to know you're perceptive, it helps with this job."

"Am I living up to your standards, old man?"

Dante laughed. "Hey, it ain't dead yet! For now, you're still a rookie."

Nero stuck his tongue out. "I'll show you."

"Don't get cocky, there's a child involved here."

"All the more reason to get this bastard."

"I'll be keeping an eye on you."

Nero glanced at the elder as they crossed the line of trees into the wood. "What for?"

"To see if you live up to those standards of mine enough to be employable."

"I told you Dante, I'm not staying."

"Come on kid, if you're a natural I'll need someone like you."

He was still being defiant. "I'm _not_ staying."

"What if I told you I want you to stay?"

"Doesn't matter..."

He trailed off as Dante backed him against a tree, his hands placed on either side of his head. Nero couldn't remove his gaze from the other man's ice blue orbs, even though his head was screaming for him to run away. But there was a look in those eyes that he couldn't place and it unnerved him a little.

"Even if it's nothing to do with the job," Dante continued.

"And what does that mean?" Nero replied.

"I want you to stay."

"And I said I'm not."

Nero moved away, but the elder shoved him back. "I mean it kid."

"So do I, _old man_."

"If you think I'm going to let you walk out of my life, then think again!"

Nero blinked. "Dante, you..."

But there was no time to discuss that as they picked up on the scent of the demon. It was not a usual smell and it was only because they were hunting it down that they'd attribute it to a devil. There was no sense of threat or malicious intent, but it was still accompanied by a strong demonic presence.

"Why does this always happen at inappropriate times?" Dante cursed.

"I guess we'll be discussing this later?" asked Nero.

"Damn right, now come on."

The younger smirked a little. "Just don't get in my way."

"Whatever, punk bitch."

The two hunters headed towards the scent of the demon, making sure to create as little noise as possible on the leaf covered ground. But the smell was starting to become a little fainter again until it was completely masked by the surrounding air of winter. However as they continued their advances, they began to pick up on another smell; fear. Beginning to feel tense, Nero picked up his pace much to Dante's displeasure. The kid was beginning to take a personal slant on this mission and that could end up in trouble. He didn't want to end up rescuing both the girl and his partner.

"Dante!" Nero called back in shock.

He stopped in his tracks, hands reaching to take out Ebony and Ivory, but it wasn't the demon Nero was alerting him to. The six year old girl, clad in a muddy, flowery dress was huddled against a tree and shaking like a leaf. Although she was practically caked in mud, it didn't look like there was a single scratch on her. Obviously, the demon hadn't hurt her and that made the situation rather puzzling.

"She's terrified," Nero observed, sadly.

"But she's not hurt," Dante added, scratching the back of his neck.

"I wonder what it wants with her."

"Beats me, but we should get her out of here while it's not around."

Nero nodded and approached the girl, whose hazel eyes were wide with fright. He knelt down in front of her, trying to offer her an air of assurance.

"It's okay," he told her, gently. "We'll get ya back home."

Without thinking, he held out his uncovered devil arm so she could take his hand. The girl shook her head violently, tears now escaping her eyes as she shrank back from Nero. He tried again, but she continued to flinch away in fear with her wide eyes locked on his dimly glowing Bringer. She would have screamed if she wasn't so afraid.

"It's my stupid arm isn't it?" Nero mumbled, acidly.

Dante watched sadly as the kid got to his feet, feeling an ache deep within his chest. Upon first sight, everyone was afraid of him and no one trusted him because he had that arm; because he was different. Somehow that made him angry, even at a child who didn't know any better.

"I guess I'll have to take her," Dante sighed.

"Why is everyone so afraid of me?" Nero's voice was full of hurt.

"I've told ya before kid, it ain't everyone."

The elder hunter walked passed him and picked up the little girl, who protested at first until she realised her rescuer appeared normal. But her eyes, so full of fear, were still locked on Nero and he looked away, clenching his fists.

"You're little glow stick's fine with me," Dante added.

"Don't call it that," Nero snapped, pouting slightly.

"You hate it, but you're still so protective of it."

"Shut..."

But at that moment, the demon's scent returned and it was stronger than ever. Nero stepped in front of Dante and took out Blue Rose, aiming it in the vague direction of the smell. Even with the trees being so sparse, there was no sign of it. Elusive as well as agile; Dante licked his lips in anticipation.

"Come on out," he growled.

"Get her out of here old man!" Nero hissed.

"Huh?"

"She's not safe! Get her away and I'll stall it until you come and back me up."

"Damn it kid, I'm running this..."

"Just go!"

"Alright, but you'd better leave some for me."

Dante took off quickly, leaving Nero alone in the small clearing to face the demon. The scent continued to grow stronger until it was overpowering and the younger expected it to show up any moment. He glanced at his Devil Bringer, which was glowing brightly to indicate it was somewhere in the vicinity. Then it hit him. If it had been the cat and it was attacking, why would it use the ground? He took aim into the trees and just about managed to dodge it as it attacked.

He spun round on his heel, holding out Blue Rose with a steady hand and locating his target. The demon was probably twice the size of a tiger and its features twisted oddly into a mix of cat and something reptilian. Most of its strong body was covered in black fur, but there were patches of rough scales where armoured plating protected the joints and spinal column. It growled lowly, amber eyes filled with predatory instinct as it stared Nero down. The face was still largely feline, though the jaw was more elongated and the teeth were laced with a paralysis inducing venom.

"You want some huh?" Nero taunted with a grin.

The demon yowled. "Give her back to me!" it bellowed in a demonic voice.

"She doesn't belong to you!"

It arched its back and hissed dangerously, its long tail swishing aggressively behind it. With another growl, it lunged at Nero, who rolled to the ground a fired a shot at its underside. The bullet seared through soft flesh, drawing blood but it was barely enough to injure it severely. He got to his feet, watching as the bleeding quickly stopped and the wound slowly closed. _Slight healing ability too_; Dante was going to love this.

Nero grinned. "Here kitty."

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_... Uke in peril? I wonder... I'll try and update quickly, but I may still be busy for a few days.  
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	8. Chapter 8 I Won't Fail You

_Well, thanks to ripping the DMC Anime Blu-Ray all day, I had plenty of inspiration to write this chapter so here it is nice and early!! Thanks again for all your reviews!_

_**Tmelange** – Thanks again and I'm glad you're enjoying it!_

_**Furesesse1** – Who wouldn't wanna ride on a bike with Dante... probably Lady! XD_

_**KawaiiYue** – Tehe, thanks for the Sex God Dante cupcake! Yummy! I'll keep an eye out for when your write your story, and I'm glad you enjoyed that conversation_

_**Bitbyboth** – Thanks for enjoying and reviewing, they'll get to serious talk... eventually mwahaha!_

_**Shiya64** – Glad you're still enjoying it and here is an update early!!_

_**SirenaLoreley** – I haven't played the first game (was never ported) but the Shadow is one pretty demon, I want one!! Thanks again for reviewing!_

_**Evaniel** – OOC stands for "Out Of Character", it's just a precaution in this case as it's my first fic for DMC_

_So what's going to happen to Nero? A bit of blood and gore here... enjoy!_

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**Chapter 8 – I Won't Fail You**

Dante ran through the trees with the young girl slung over his shoulder as quickly as possible, his nose now burning with the demon's scent as it let itself known to Nero. Its presence was strong, no doubt about it and it had changed since he first noticed it. Before, there had been no negative feelings associated with it, but now it was beginning to simmer with rage. It was angry at having the girl taken from it, for a reason presently unknown to either devil hunter. This meant it would kill Nero first and then run after Dante to claim its prize. He had to hurry, as it wasn't something the kid could handle alone. In his time, the elder had faced much tougher devils but any creature blinded by rage could be a challenge. Nero wasn't experienced enough to know that and he knew he should be back by the kid's side, fighting with him.

"M-Mister..." the girl stammered. "W-Where are you t-taking me?"

"Back to your mum where you're safe," Dante replied, not really feeling in the mood for conversation.

"Why is your f-friend a m-monster?"

He felt a burning sensation deep down, but he quenched it. This girl was too young to know any better; she wasn't like Kyrie. "He's not."

His tone was abrupt and she flinched. "S-sorry..."

"He's just like you or me; a normal guy. His luck just falls a little short."

"Do you love him?"

That question was unexpected. "What?"

"You sound like you love him."

"What would you know about love?"

"I love my mum... I loved my cat. But the monster killed it."

A thought suddenly occurred to him. "How?"

"It just... it was kind of like..."

"Like it came from within?"

She nodded. "Then it took me away."

Dante narrowed his eyes against the brightness as he left the woods and was hit with clear, open blue skies. "It didn't hurt you though, did it?"

"No. It said it wanted me."

This was interesting. "Did it say why?"

The girl shook her head. "But it wouldn't let anyone take me away."

"Almost makes it sound lonely."

"It was going to eat me, wasn't it?"

"I really don't think so."

"Then what?"

What an irritating child. "I'm not sure."

But Dante was beginning to form a rough idea in his head about what was going on. There was a reason why the demon preyed on the little girl and then possessed the cat; it wanted to get close to her. It wanted her as a possession, as something that belonged to it and no one else. Had Trish figured this out? The demon's scent had not indicated an aggressive or violent nature and from experience, Dante knew that not all devils were evil. Perhaps it wanted company and when it saw how much the girl loved the cat, it became jealous. In a way it was almost like a child; emotional and only seeking some form of companionship. He'd taken away something it wanted and hopefully it wouldn't be returning the favour any time soon.

"Dante!" yelled a woman's voice. "Is that... my Rosa...?"

_Ah, so that's the brat's name._ The red clad devil hunter looked ahead and saw that the girl's mother was waiting by the fence to the garden, frantically waving her arms. That was certainly one way to draw attention to yourself, especially when there was a demon around. Once he returned Rosa safe and sound, it was time for some fun. He stopped in front of the woman and handed over her daughter into open arms. The girl seemed happy and relaxed now she was back with the one person who loved her; an ordinary, normal human. He guessed that if the demon wanted to love her and have that love returned, it was out of luck. This child could never see a heart through such a terrifying exterior.

"Is it dead?" asked the woman.

There was no acceptance in this world for such creatures. "Not yet," Dante replied. "My partner's holding it off."

"Thank you for saving my daughter."

"Don't mention it."

He turned to leave in the direction of the woods, but the woman stopped him. "Please tell me; what did it want?"

He sighed. _What does any child want?_ "I'm not sure, but it didn't want to hurt her."

"But isn't that what monsters do?"

"Depends on the monster."

"I was always taught to believe that demons were evil."

_Then what would you say to me if I told you who I was?_ "And they can be but sometimes, there are demons that have no bad intentions towards humans. They're not all evil, just like humans. That's something you or your daughter could never understand."

The woman looked away. "You seem to almost defend them."

"Only because I often find humans worse than devils."

"Who are you, Devil Hunter Dante?"

"Exactly that."

But there was little time for conversation as Dante felt a strong wind blow towards them from the woods. It carried with it the scent of the demon and the familiar, sweet fragrance of Nero that could never be mistaken for anything else. The demon's anger was beginning to rage out of control and the kid was waiting for his support.

"I have to go," he noted.

With that, Dante swiftly took off in the direction he came from. _I won't fail you, kid._

***

Meanwhile, the demon had been giving Nero a bit of a work out. The more it became enraged, the faster it would move, although the speed of its healing ability suffered as a consequence. It also seemed to be growing in size and the armoured plates were beginning to become tough for Blue Rose to deal with. The blue clad hunter leapt into the strongest low branch of a nearby tree to look down upon his adversary. The demon growled menacingly, its slowly lengthening claws tearing into the soft soil. Nero had to smirk; it acted like a little kid, sulking because someone had stolen its toys.

"Still mad at me, huh?" he taunted.

"I'll make you pay!" the demon spat.

It lunged up to try and hit him, but Nero dodged the sweeping paws and fired a single shot into its arm. The pair of bullets pierced straight into soft flesh, blood and charred fur scattering to the ground on impact. It shrieked, almost like a high pitched whine, as it recoiled and turned to glare threateningly at Nero. The young hunter landed softly on both feet, Blue Rose still on target and his Bringer ready for backup.

"Don't want to talk in a civilised way, eh?" he asked, mockingly.

"You're a fool!" the demon growled. "Part devil scum!"

He let out a small laugh. "Oh, an insult? I'm surprised you can manage it!"

It hissed at him. "I will rip you to shreds and take back what is mine!"

"Like I'd let ya do that. You ain't hurting that little girl."

"Don't lump me in with the likes of you!"

Nero faltered a little at those words; then it claimed to have no intention of harming the child. In fact, it seemed to think Dante was going to. Was that why it was so angry? But his pause to think had been a mistake. While he had floundered in his own thoughts, the demon lunged towards the devil hunter, ready to paralyse him with its venom. Caught by surprise, Nero tried to roll away but not before he felt teeth sink into the soft blue flesh of his Bringer. Pissed at himself and glad Dante wasn't around to witness his blunder, he shot the devil in the scruff of its neck.

It yowled in pain, pulling back with thick red blood oozing from its venomous fangs and the bullet wound. Nero staggered backwards, resisting the urge to grasp onto his Devil Bringer as it throbbed in agony. His blood dribbled down between the armoured crevices, creating thin rivulets that ran down his blue claws and dripped to the ground. He glanced at it briefly, trying to move the crimson coated digits, but it was futile. The venom had completely paralysed his arm to his elbow and it was now effectively useless. _Shit, what an idiot!_ Now he really needed Dante; there was no way the elder would stop calling him kid at this rate.

"How's that, dirty blood?" sneered the demon.

"I don't like your attitude," Nero replied, darkly.

"Then give me back my Rosa! Give her back!"

Nero raised an eyebrow. "Rosa? The girl?"

"She's mine! I must save her from the half blood!"

There seemed to be almost an air of panic about the demon now. It attacked Nero again, who fired straight towards its face as he sidestepped away. With a sickening crunching sound and a brief spray of blood, an armoured plate grew from the base of its skull, extending across the top of its head and to the bridge of its nose. The bullets ricocheted off the protective surface, causing no damage. It was adapting too much, rendering Blue Rose completely ineffective. Nero holstered his gun and armed himself with Red Queen as the demon rounded on him again.

"We're protecting her from _you_!" he growled.

"Never!" the demon screamed. "You'll both die!"

"She was scared of you."

"Why? I did nothing! Why!?"

Nero was unnerved as a yellow aura crept around the demon's form, which had once again grown in size. Its attitude was erratic and the scent it gave off was shifting radically between panic, anger and pure aggression. Its speed increased once again as it charged towards the hunter, amber eyes ablaze with rage. Nero stood his ground for a moment before leaping over it, dragging Red Queen along the demon's armoured spinal column. A thin train of blood followed the edge of the blade, splashing across the closest tree and infuriating the creature further. The young hunter staggered as he landed on the ground, his vision blurring as he glanced at his still bleeding devil arm. _Damn it Dante, where the fuck are you?_ He looked back at the demon, the yellow aura still surrounding its body like a thin haze.

"I've never met a demon like you before," Nero growled.

"Let me passed!" it yelled.

Its judgement was becoming clouded in its anger. "Try it."

Breaking it was the best way to lower its defences, Nero was certain of it. He gripped Red Queen's hilt tighter and revved it, his gaze locked on that of his enemy. If he did anything before he left Devil May Cry, he would gain Dante's respect. Even though he truly wanted the man's love, respect would be good enough.

"Come on!" Nero exclaimed with a grin.

But it didn't take the bait. Instead, the demon leapt into one of the nearest trees and tore it down with its weight, the heavy wooden frame collapsing towards the startled teen. He tried to jump away, but the demon lunged from the falling tree and grabbed him mid air using its strong claws. With a heavy thud, they fell to the ground and Nero was pinned. He tried desperately to move his Devil Bringer, but to no avail. _Dante, I need you!_

The demon chuckled. "I'll drink you dry!"

It raised one of its arms and a pair of long, metallic tubes shot out from the wrist and penetrated the blue skin of Nero's demonic arm. He cried out in pain, a tear escaping and rolling down his cheek from the unexpected agony. A faint blue glow that emanated from his arm flowed along the tubes and into the demon, which began to grow again until it was double the size it was at the start of the fight.

"You taste good for bad blood," the demon sneered.

"Shit..." Nero choked, but managed a scream. "DANTE!"

***

As he heard Nero's scream, he knew he was close. _Shit, the kid's in trouble!_ Dante sprinted as fast as he could without his lungs bursting until he reached the clearing. He froze briefly, staring at Nero as his demonic strength was being absorbed from his Bringer into the demon. He whipped out Ebony and Ivory, taking aim and shooting through the thin tubes that were connected to the teen's arm. The demon recoiled with a yelp, stumbling a little as it ripped the ruined implements from its wrist. Forgetting about the devil and anything else, Dante rushed to Nero's side and holstered his guns to hold him in his arms.

"Now what have you gotten into?" he growled, trying to keep his voice steady.

Nero smiled weakly. "Guess I screwed up, eh old man?"

"I don't give a damn about that kid, just keep your eyes open."

"Don't worry, if ya think this is going to kill me, you're dead wrong."

"Now's not the time to be cocky."

"You're saying that now?" Nero chuckled softly. "After being so late for the party?"

"Just don't fall asleep, I need you to be able to keep away when I fight this bastard!"

"But... I'm so... so..."

His eyelids began to close, but the smile was still playing on his lips. Dante began to panic, watching as the glow from the kid's Bringer dimmed to a faint flicker. He ran his hand shakily down the soft skin on his face, but there was no further movement.

"Nero!"

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_Now what's tough guy Dante going to do?? Hope you enjoyed and I'll update soon!  
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	9. Chapter 9 Right By Your Side

_Well, here you are, the end of that rather nasty cliffhanger I threw in. It had to be done I'm afraid, but the update is here! Thanks again to all who've reviewed._

_**SirenaLoreley** – Thanks again for reviewing and enjoying all the action! *takes roses and danced around happily*_

_**Tmelange** – Yeah it was short, but I needed it to be as with this chapter, the split made it awkward. Two short-ish chapters or a really massive one... had to go with the former_

_**Furesesse1** – It was a bit evil of me... but it keeps you on your toes (if that's a good thing...) XD_

_**KawaiiYue** – And that cupcake was damn good! And please let me know when you get ideas!!_

_**Shiya64** – Excellent, I'm glad I can keep you hooked, especially with an evil cliffhanger...!_

_**BattleGoddess126** – Yeah, I'm a recent DMC fan too and I got so hooked on DantexNero after playing DMC4... thanks for reviewing!!_

_**Evaniel** – Hopefully not literally! :P_

_**Bitbyboth** – Thanks again for the review and I'm also feeling rather relieved no one seemed to find Rosa annoying... or the demon!_

_**Atom-bomb** – Hehe, sorry about that, I had no choice but to pull a cliffhanger with this one... I offer my apologies and a truck load of cookies!!_

_Now to the resolution to the cliffhanger... please enjoy!_

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**Chapter 9 – Right By Your Side**

There was still no movement from Nero, no matter how many times Dante yelled his name or tried to shake him. The only hope he had left was the faint blue glow which continued to emanate from his limp Devil Bringer. The kid was still alive, but the elder couldn't help the crushing feeling that tightened in his chest and seemed to burn all the way down to his gut. He choked back a sob, his shoulders shaking from the effort of holding back his tears. This couldn't happen now; he hadn't told him how he really felt.

"Don't die on me Nero," he murmured.

But he was cut off by a loud yell from behind him. _Pull yourself together Dante, you've still got a job to do_. With Nero still tightly held in his arms, he turned round to cast a deadly look at the infuriated demon. Its body was contorted in what looked like pain and its amber eyes were burning with a red ring around the pupil.

"Payback time," Dante growled.

"For what, half blood?" the demon spat.

He took out Ebony and aimed directly between its eyes. "No one hurts _my_ Nero and gets away with it."

"You took my love, so I'll take yours!"

He felt a brief wave of sympathy wash over him as he remembered how the girl spoke of the devil. "Do you think she would seriously return your companionship? Sure, you probably have every intention in the world of caring for her as she grows up, but what are you to her? You're not that sweet little kitten she adored; to her, you're just a monster."

It growled darkly. "I offered her protection that no one else could give!"

"It really doesn't matter, you're still a demon."

"Why? Why should that stop someone from loving me?"

Dante sighed a closed his eyes. _I hate dealing with these problems_. "It shouldn't and I know that humans are capable of loving demons, just as much as you love that girl. Without your anger, you could be the most benign demon ever to exist, but most humans don't see that. A kid like her can only be frightened by something like you."

"Then I'll just have to seal her!"

"As much as I hate to do this, I have no choice," he opened his icy blue orbs to stare at his aggressor. "You can only live as a demon and it's my job to take you out."

He fired a round of bullets from Ebony to end the pitiful creature's existence, but they never reached their target. The yellow aura around the demon's body grew and the bullets burnt up and disintegrated from the rising heat. It issued a high pitched shriek and slivers of fire began to emerge from the joints in its armour plating. A fiery mane engulfed the top of its head between cat-like ears and snaked down to its shoulders, where bony masses were starting to protrude. Dante held Nero tighter, watching as the demon continued to screech with pain and anger as large, bat-like wings ripped out from its shoulder blades with a splatter of blood. It was now about half the size of the surrounding trees and its body was glowing with heat from demonic fire.

"Damn," Dante mumbled, but his usual note of humour was gone from his voice. "You're pretty pissed at me, huh?"

"I will destroy you!" the demon yelled. "Dante Sparda!"

It lunged forwards to attack, Dante reaching behind to draw Rebellion whilst religiously clutching Nero to his side. However, before the devil reached him, a huge rocket exploded between them and both sides backed down. The elder hunter looked in the direction of the shot, almost relieved to see Lady standing strong with Kalina Ann rested on her shoulder. Trish was also there, just behind her with a familiar briefcase clutched in her hand.

"Took ya long enough!" Dante was practically grinning. _Now you're safe, kid_.

The two women took their chance to stroll over to him whilst the devil was distracted in the smoke of the explosion.

"I figured it all out," Trish explained. "The demon planned to seal the girl's soul with its own and then take her back to the demon world. The only thing I don't know is why."

"It only wants her companionship."

Trish raised an eyebrow. "How did you find that out?"

"It was jealous of the girl's love for others; there are even demons that want to be loved."

She smiled a little. "Of course."

"But I need you to do me a favour."

Both women looked sadly at the unconscious form of Nero, still wrapped in Dante's strong arms. The young hunter was alive, that was given away by the faint glow from his Devil Bringer, but his demonic strength was all but depleted.

"Don't worry, we'll protect him," Lady assure him. "You need to defeat _that_."

Dante glanced back to the demon, which had returned to its feet and had recovered from its brief spell of confusion. Even though a small part of him sympathised with it, there was no chance he'd spare its life. Not after hurting Nero. He gently released the teen from his grasp and got to his feet, eyes never leaving the burning amber orbs of his foe.

"You'll be needing this," Trish told him with a smirk.

Dante grinned as he received Pandora from the blonde, the necessary strategy already forming in his mind. Smash its protective fiery aura with Rebellion and, once weakened, blast it back to hell. Simple. The three of them stood in front of Nero, Trish staying closer to the boy as a few portals opened up behind the devil. Several Shadows appeared and formed a line in front of the one that summoned them, their feline forms almost complimentary of the winged leader. Its anger was beginning to draw attention and the other demons were after a piece of the action. This needed to be over with quickly.

"We'll deal with the Shadows," Lady explained, strapping Kalina Ann to her back and equipping herself with a random choice of firearms. "You need to take out that big boy before it brings out some more friends."

"Then our priority is getting Nero somewhere safe," Dante replied.

"He's safe now Dante," Trish assured him, taking out Luce and Ombra. "Just finish this job."

Briefly, he glanced back at Nero. _You'll be fine kid, you know I'm right here with you_. With Pandora in one hand and Rebellion in the other, Dante charged forwards and leapt over the hoards of advancing Shadows. Behind him, he heard them meeting the barrage of gunfire from Trish and Lady, but his focus was on the demon ahead of him.

"Did ya miss me?" he taunted.

With one rear of its head, it fired several fireballs at him and he sliced through them easily with his signature blade. Once close enough, he ducked underneath one of the demon's attacking arms and sliced cleanly through the plate of blazing armour on its shoulder. Sparks rained down to the soft ground, along with a few heavy scales as the plate cracked. With a shriek of frustration, the demon took off into the air with one downward sweep of its wings and smashed down some trees in an attempt to disable Dante. _Nice try, but not good enough_.

The red devil hunter leapt from tree to falling tree until he found a foothold on a branch further away from the scene of destruction. He transformed Pandora into a Gatling gun, took aim at the demon as it flew low in the sky and fired at one of its wings. The hot bullets tore through the leathery skin, but this did not phase it as it shot another fireball at Dante, watching as he jumped backwards to evade it. Quickly, it swooped in even lower, grabbed him in midair and threw him violently to the ground. Ignoring the pain in his back as his injuries healed, he got to his feet and braced himself as the demon dived in for a direct attack. He thrust Rebellion out before him, the blade slicing into a clawed hand and drawing rivers of thick, crimson blood.

Crying in pain it pulled itself free of the blade, baring its teeth and hissing aggressively as it landed on all fours. This thing wasn't going down without a fight. Dante took a step to the right, triggering another volley of fireballs. He dodged them all with ease, his eyes never losing sight of the devil as it took flight for a second time. It climbed higher, almost vertically until it was out of range of Pandora's Gatling gun, its body becoming engulfed with flames. That was when Dante saw it. The weak spot; the fire was barely visible in the centre of its chest where its armour was thickest. _Bingo_. He stood his ground as the demon changed course and dived straight towards him, exposing its weak spot to the devil hunter. It was right where he wanted it.

"Jackpot!" he said with a grin.

He hurled Rebellion directly into the spot, the blade glowing as it split the flames and pierced through the plate of armour. It cracked and shattered, revealing the soft and now unprotected black fur on its chest. The demon collapsed to the ground as Dante called back his sword, grimacing slightly as the heat burnt his hand through the leather glove. He watched as the flames along the devil's body began to flicker down to embers, but this fight was far from finished. It was still hanging on to everything it hand left, driven by rage.

"Now this is fairer, don't ya think?" he queried.

The demon chuckled. "Too bad, half blood."

Dante's eyes widened as he saw where it was looking; Nero was still in sight, even with the girls protecting him from the remaining Shadows. Still chuckling darkly, the devil held out its right hand and used the rest of its demonic fire to create a long, thin blade of glowing white flames. It took aim straight at the kid, planning to slice straight through his Bringer.

"Bad move pal," Dante growled, a dark edge to his voice.

In a flash of red, he Triggered and shot towards the demon, shattering the newly formed weapon with one stroke of Rebellion. Turning around on his heel, he thrust his sword deep into its throat, earning a wet gargle and a cascade of blood. With the blade still firmly wedged into the soft flesh and vocal cords, Dante planted a hard kick into the centre of its chest. It was thrown backwards violently and it smashed through one of the thicker trees, sending splinters of wood into the air. The Triggered hunter then used this time to transform Pandora into a rocket launcher.

"No last words for you!"

He fired twin rockets at the defeated devil, the explosion tearing away a few more of the nearby trees. Meanwhile, Lady and Trish purged the area of the last of the Shadows before they saw the explosion caused by the demon's violent destruction. The short blast of air hit them and they saw Dante standing before the fireball, Devil Triggered and armed with Pandora. It must have seriously pissed him off to have driven him that far.

"I guess it's over," Lady sighed.

Satisfied with that statement, Trish holstered Luce and Ombra, rushed over to Nero and knelt down beside him. She placed a hand over his forehead, feeling how hot his pale skin was to the touch. With her other hand, she lightly caressed his Devil Bringer, the blue skin beneath the red armour still glowing healthily. She heard heavy footsteps behind her and she looked up straight at Dante, who had de-Triggered and retrieved Rebellion.

"Job done," he said, shortly.

She nodded. "Then we must get Nero home."

"Is he..."

"He'll be fine. I bought a green orb in the car just in case it was needed; that will help Nero to recover his lost demonic strength and after that, it's just a few days rest to clear his fever."

Dante breathed a sigh of relief. "Let's get going then."

He stooped down and gathered Nero into his arms, holding him so tightly it was as if he was afraid to lose him. The four of them left the woods to where Trish had parked a four-wheel drive. Rushing ahead, Dante yanked open the passenger door and climbed into the back seat, laying Nero against him so that his head was resting in the crook of his arm. He reached over and fumbled around in Trish's black holdall, finding the green orb the full demon had packed. He jumped slightly at the sound of the front two doors opening and he caught the gaze of Lady's mismatched eyes as she poked her head into the car.

"What about the money?" she asked, carefully.

He looked away. "Forget it, we needed to get Nero home."

"Okay, then I'll sort it out and drive your bike back. Oh, and try to not worry yourself to death about Nero; you'll get your chance to tell him."

_I hope so_, he thought as Lady left and Trish got into the driver's seat, started the car and began the journey back to Devil May Cry. Dante turned his attention to Nero and the green orb in his hand, the dim light casting a pale green glow on the kid's pale skin. Mentally crossing his fingers, the elder pressed the orb against the younger's Bringer until it was absorbed completely by the soft blue flesh. At the sudden flow of energy into his exhausted body, Nero's chest heaved and he coughed violently. Unsure of whether to be relieved or worried, Dante cradled the young body against him, fighting back the urge to cry and completely obliterate his masculinity.

"Take it easy kid," Dante managed to keep his tone even.

Shuddering a little in the aftermath of his sudden coughing fit, Nero relaxed back in Dante's arms, his eyes half lidded as they gazed up at the beautiful face of the elder. He smiled softly, feeling safe in the warmth of the man he desired.

"Dante," he sighed. "I knew you'd be here."

"Of course kid," the other man returned the smile.

"Promise me something old man."

He swallowed thickly. "Anything."

"Don't leave me alone like everyone else."

"Never! Of course I'd never leave!"

Nero's eyes were looking tired again. "Then I can always be by your side?"

"Like you'd have a choice in that one, kid."

"Then that's all I... all I need to know. Thanks... Dante..."

The young hunter's eyelids shut slowly as sleep consumed him, the expression on his face completely tranquil. Dante observed his sleeping angel for a moment, his eyes soon travelling to the blue glow of Nero's Devil Bringer. Gently, he took hold of it with one hand and traced the lines of warm, blue skin with the other. He smiled as the glow intensified at the touch of his fingers, almost as if each caress breathed a bit of energy back into him.

"Out like a light and your arm still can't get enough of me," Dante noted with a shake of his head and a light smirk. "But you should know more than anyone that I'd never abandon you; I'm not going to be like Kyrie or the Order."

Nero continued to sleep on. "Tch, I finally want to spill my heart out to you and you're not conscious to hear it! Damn it Nero, I love you more than you could ever know. I want to touch and hold every last inch of you. I know you can't hear me, but I do get lonely believe it or not and I want you to stay with me."

He wiped a tear away from his eye. "Shit, look at what you do to me!"

In the driver's seat, Trish smiled as she watched Dante cuddle Nero's sleeping form against him, part crying and part laughing. She, like Lady, knew that he had feelings for the kid ever since the Fortuna incident. She clearly remembered how Dante's eyes had been focussed on that young backside when she appeared to him as Gloria. In fact, he had looked exceptionally disappointed when she blocked his view.

"You can be pathetic sometimes, you know that?" she chuckled.

"Hey," Dante replied, a little hurt. "Here I am crying my eyes out like a fucking girl and all you can do is call me names? Have a heart, Trish."

She cast a sharp glare into the wing mirror. "I was referring to you not confessing to Nero."

"Oh!" he ran his fingers through his white hair, even blushing a little. "Right."

She rolled her eyes skyward and returned her attention to the road. "You will tell him, won't you Dante?"

"Is that a threat?"

"It could be."

Dante smiled and stared down at the sleeping teen in his arms, his fingers now moving to stroke through the white hair that was so similar to his own. He believed at that moment there was nothing as beautiful as his cute, sleeping face. Nothing at all.

"Damn straight."

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_Is this another cliffhanger...? Nah, you know what's coming in the next chapter... and it will be the last, so stay tuned!_


	10. Chapter 10 Confessions of Love

_Sorry it took so long to update, but for a final chapter, this is quite epic in length compared to the others. Took so long to write! Thanks again to all of you awesome people who reviewed and favourited!_

_**Prodigy Zero** – Thanks for starting to read, I hope you enjoy the rest of it!_

_**Furesesse1** – Thanks, I kinda enjoy righting fight scenes... especially if there's lots of blood!_

_**SirenaLoreley** – Yay, I'm glad you enjoyed the demon chat! Now the boys can have their heart to heart_

_**Bitbyboth** – Hehe, I guess it was quite fluffy after Nero got owned, thanks for reviewing! :)_

_**BattleGoddess126** – I know, I swear Dante's flirting with Nero in practically every cut scene they have together!_

_**KawaiiYue** – I'm glad you liked the fluff, especially where Dante's concerned. Ooh, do you have special Yaoi cupcakes? I wanna special hot devil hunter Yaoi cupcake! XD_

_**Makoto no densetsu** – Thanks for the review and yeah, I feel sad having to write the last chapter now_

_**Atom-bomb** – Hehe, yeah I'm afraid I have to end it. Have some more cookies!_

_**Shiya64** – Thanks again and I hope this ending finishes things off okay_

_**Evaniel** – Yup, I wish I was Nero too :P (I'd have a cool demonic arm then!)_

_**ChaosGarden** – Thanks and I'm glad you approve of a very horny Dante (lucky Nero)_

_**Tigerfussel** – Thank you for reviewing, especially for saying that I keep them in character, that's always a relief!_

_Epic comments, I hope I got everyone here. Well, the last chapter is extra long and I hope this is a bonus you enjoy! Oh yeah, and it gets a bit hot at the end just to warn you..._

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**Chapter 10 – Confessions of Love**

He wasn't certain exactly what he'd been dreaming about, but what he did know was that the few memories he had of them were unpleasant. Falling into darkness, a swirling void accompanied by a heavy feeling pressed against his chest. Then there was Dante, unmoving and impaled with Rebellion until the falling sensation started again and it became hot, so hot it was unbearable. But now it was just dark, cool and soothing. Slowly, Nero opened his eyes and he saw that he was back in his bedroom at Devil May Cry. The room was fresh from the open window and the sky a dark blue at the end of sunset. There was a cool breeze swirling around the room, but he was resting against something distinctly warm. He stirred and blinked a few times, before his face flushed a faint pink at the realisation his head was resting in someone's lap. He swallowed thickly as his eyes stared straight at a red leather clad crotch.

"Ah, finally seems like you're awake kid," spoke a lazy voice.

Jumping at the sudden sound, Nero sat bolt upright and cracked his forehead against something hard. He cried out in shock, understanding that he'd accidentally head butted Dante when he heard a similar yelp. He looked at the elder, who was rested back against the pillows with the tails of his red leather coat spread across the bed. Smirking slightly and rubbing his forehead, Dante brushed some of his hair out of his eyes.

"Take your time!" he laughed.

"How long had I been..." Nero trailed off and glanced down at himself, noticing that he was only wearing a tight black tank top and his blue jeans. "Did you..."

"It looked like you were feeling pretty hot in that coat of yours," Dante explained, casually. "Though you were barely coherent, I thought it best to keep you as comfortable as possible. The green orb helped you to recover your lost demonic strength, but you were running a high fever from your weakness. You've been sleeping practically nonstop for three days!"

Nero rubbed the side of his nose. "No wonder I feel a bit disorientated."

"You weren't sleeping too well, either."

He blushed a bit. "Really?"

Dante nodded. "Seemed like you were having some pretty nasty dreams, but Trish said that would be normal with the fever you had. Seeing as you only stopped thrashing about so much when I was with ya, I slept in here."

"You... in _here_? In my bed? With..."

The older man laughed. "Don't worry kid, I behaved myself."

He winked playfully at the younger, earning a blush of a much deeper shade of red. _Damn you're cute when you do that_. Smirking, he got to his feet and wandered towards the door before turning back to glance at the other man.

"You coming?" he asked.

"Give me a chance old man," Nero whined. "I've only just come round!"

"But I have food downstairs, you must be starving!"

"I don't..." but his stomach began to growl in protest as it too began to wake. "Okay, maybe you're right."

"When am I not?"

Ignoring that comment, Nero carefully slipped off the bed but the instant he put weight on his feet, he lost his balance. Quickly, Dante moved to his side and put his arms around him to stop him falling flat on his face. He blushed furiously as the elder held an arm tightly around his waist as they left the bedroom and sauntered downstairs. The first thing Nero caught was the familiar smell of freshly delivered pizza; an unusually pleasing mix of melted cheese, tomatoes and warm cardboard.

He rolled his eyes skyward. "Surprise, surprise!"

"What?" Dante replied. "Nothing like a good pizza when you've not eaten in days."

"Well, I guess I shouldn't have expected a home cooked meal."

"Do I look like a housewife to you, kid?"

Nero was sorely tempted to say yes when his mind conjured up the image of Dante wearing a frilly pink heart patterned apron and big, fluffy slippers. He held his breath in the effort of trying not to laugh, as he'd rather not have to explain his fantasy to the elder hunter. Especially when said fantasy removed the rest of his clothes, leaving him just in the apron. _You're turning into a real pervert Nero,_ he told himself as he was sat down comfortably on one of the red leather sofas. Dante picked up the pizza box and placed it between them, opening the lid to reveal a rather appetising looking four cheese pizza. Nero had to admit, right now it looked damn good.

He greedily snatched up the first slice and devoured it, the feeling exceptionally welcome in his three day empty stomach. Dante watched him with amusement as he started eating his own slice, but nothing could shake off the feeling of relief in his chest. Just three days ago, he'd been worried sick that the kid would never recover and now, he was hungrily eating dinner with him. As he watched more of the pizza disappear, the elder quickly claimed a few more pieces for himself, out of fear that there'd be none left. Although right now, nothing was more important than making sure Nero was recovering.

"Feeling better?" asked Dante.

"Yeah surprisingly," Nero replied with a smirk and a mouthful of pizza.

"Good, you were looking pretty awful yesterday, despite improving through the morning."

"If I feel this good now, then you must have looked after me pretty well."

Smiling slightly, Nero placed the empty pizza box back on the coffee table, but was caught by surprise as the older man pulled him into a fierce hug. Feeling somewhat awkward, he tentatively wrapped his arms about Dante's broad shoulders, secretly basking in his warmth. Eventually he was released, but the closeness did not disappear as the elder grasped his upper arms with strong hands. He began to feel his body quickly heating up and he hoped it went unnoticed.

"I won't deny it kid," Dante told him. "I was worried sick about you."

"But I've recovered now, old man," Nero assured him.

"I'm sorry I couldn't get to you quicker."

"No Dante," he brushed away his hands. "I'm the one who should be sorry. That was the second demon we had to fight together and like the last time, I needed you to save my arse. I just feel that at some point, you'll end up seriously hurt or worse because of my incompetence."

"Tch, like _that_ will ever happen..."

"I'm serious! Before we left for that mission, you wanted me to give you a reason as to why I wouldn't stay; that's enough of a reason for me. Once I'm completely back on my feet, I'll be heading off. I'm not going to be a burden to you anymore."

Dante sighed. "You really don't get it, do you?"

"Get what? Damn it, you keeping say that and never say what you mean!"

"I don't care if you don't think you're good enough, because I know from experience that you are one of the best demon hunters I've come across. Stop putting yourself down and start acting like that cocky, punk bitch that tried to kill me in Fortuna. I know you'll never be as good as me, but I don't need that. What I do need is _you_."

Nero lowered his head. "I..."

"Forget it; no way are you leaving."

"Do I..." he paused for a moment. "Do I mean that much to you?"

It was now or never. "You really have no idea at all!"

Dante chuckled lightly as grasped the kid's Devil Bringer with both hands, gently caressing the warm blue skin between the red armour. Nero's eyes widened, feeling embarrassed as his arm glowed brightly in response to the elder's touch. A pleasant shiver travelled right up to his shoulder, but he pulled away quickly.

"Sorry," Dante murmured, a sad look in his eyes as he got to his feet.

"No!" Nero exclaimed, a little louder than he wanted as he grabbed him by the wrist. "I didn't mean it like that..."

Dante sat back down again, a nervous feeling in his gut as he watched Nero fidget next to him. Was he about to be rejected? Even though he promised Trish he'd tell the kid his feelings, he still hadn't done so. Just as he predicted, he'd poked around the subject and made things awkward again. _Nice going, Dante_.

But the silence was beginning to get to him. "Then what?" he queried, clearing his throat.

"It's just..." Nero glanced at him. "No one even likes to look at it, never mind touch it."

Without thinking, Dante took hold of Nero's Bringer again. "I'm not like everyone else kid and I'll touch it if I want to. It's not fair how they treated you in Fortuna and I promise you, I won't throw you away like they did. I'm dead serious about this; stay with me."

Nero felt his heart almost beating out of his chest, his glowing demonic arm giving away his emotions. He never thought Dante would be capable of speaking his heart and mind like that. Had the battle against that devil made him so desperate to admit his feelings in such away?_ Hell, he actually has feelings me?_

"Are you going to say something?" Dante asked in a quiet voice.

He'd left him hanging. "You want me to stay that much?"

"You know I do."

_Does he really have feelings for me?_ "Maybe... I'll give it some thought..."

"I need to know now, Nero."

The sound of his name on the elder's tongue was almost enough to melt his heart. "Dante..."

"I will force you to stay if I have to. I'll do anything to keep you here because, no matter how much I look at it, I've completely fallen for ya. I don't care if you want to kill me for saying this anymore; hell, seeing you get all angry with me like you were in Fortuna would probably just turn me on! But... I love you Nero. I mean it."

Nero almost wanted to cry. "D-Dante..." he held back his tears by crushing the elder against him in a tight hug. "I love you too."

Now it was Dante's turn to hold his breath. "You..."

"I've loved you since we first met, you know. When you crashed through that skylight, I honestly thought I was hallucinating from the sheer boredom of the church service. You were so beautiful it seemed impossible. Well, until you ruined it by shooting Sanctus in the face."

Dante smirked. "Beauty ain't my style kid, I prefer devastatingly sexy myself."

Nero rolled his eyes. "Still doesn't change anything."

"So that's why you tried to kill me, eh? Because I ruined your pretty little fantasy by shooting the old geezer?"

"You can really kill a romantic moment, you know that?"

"Well apparently, all I need to do is shoot someone."

"Shut up old man!"

Nero punched him lightly on the arm with his Bringer, but he soon felt warm hands gripping his waist, tightly. With his trademark smirk, Dante pushed him down onto the sofa and lay over him, warmly pressing their bodies together. Nero's breath caught in his chest as the elder moved in closer until their noses were almost touching. _He can just as easily bring the romance back, too_.

"So, when did you return to your fantasies about me?" he asked, his voice deep and gravelly.

Nero felt a shiver run up his back. "I guess when I saw you in the forest... when you fell backwards off that cliff. I kind of wanted to just fall after you."

Dante's lips were now at his ear. "Was that sexy for ya?"

"I..."

But he was cut off as he felt the elder's tongue lick along the cartilage of his ear, sending waves of sensation down his back. Instinctively, Nero's arms moved up and held onto his sides, trying to bring their bodies closer together. Dante slowly began grinding his hips against him, earning a desperate whimper from the young man beneath him. He slipped his hands up under the rim of Nero's black tank top, his warm fingers roughly caressing every inch of skin they could find. Nero tilted his head back to moan from this sudden bliss, but the sound was cut off as Dante captured his lips in a slow, gentle kiss.

His arms slid up the elder's sides to wrap around his neck, the claws of his Devil Bringer tangling into his white hair. The kiss deepened, tongues being allowed to dance freely in each others' mouths. Soon, a battle for dominance broke out and Nero found himself quickly overwhelmed by the more experienced hunter, leaving Dante to explore his sweet cavern. They eventually forced themselves apart for air, the younger unable to hide the reluctant groan that escaped his lips.

Dante smirked. "You need to breathe sometime, kid."

"Don't call me kid when we're like this," Nero protested with a pout.

"Aw, you look so adorable with that pouting lip."

Nero didn't have the time to feel embarrassed about that comment as Dante leant down and trapped the protruding lip between his, sucking gently before biting down hard. The kid's back arched at the stab of pain, allowing Dante's arms to slip underneath him and pull his body closer to his. He ground hard against him, their clothed arousals becoming painfully harder with each rock of the elder's hips. Nero felt his pale skin heating up as Dante, hands still under his shirt, began to play with his hardened nipples.

"Dante," Nero hissed, his back arching again.

He nuzzled the kid's neck. "Yes, Nero?"

The way he purred his name sent a shiver along his spine that went straight to his groin. "What about T-Trish and Lady? Won't they... interrupt us at s-some point... ahh!"

Dante had bitten hard into the soft skin on his neck, leaving a mark. "Nope," his lips went to the teen's ear. "They've been away on an extended mission since this morning, won't be back for another week. It's just you and me, babe."

Nero blushed. "You're going to call me _that_?"

"Got a problem with it?"

He gasped as Dante nibbled his earlobe. "N-No... I..." his blush deepened. "I kind of like it."

Chuckling lightly, the elder pulled back from Nero's ears and removed his hands from beneath his shirt to rest them on either side of his young lover's head. Smirking, he dipped his nose into the hollow of his neck, nuzzling the skin and licking a twitching tendon.

"You smell like three days worth of sleep," he noted, humorously.

"I wonder why, Einstein," Nero rolled his eyes.

"You need a shower and, what a coincidence!" Dante sat back a little to take in his own scent. "I now smell just as bad as you do. Guess we may as well shower together k..."

Instantly, Nero slapped the hand of his Bringer over the elder's mouth. "What did I say about calling me kid?"

He felt him grin beneath the palm of his hand and he slowly dragged it away, two blue fingers lingering to fondle his lips. Unexpectedly, Dante grabbed his wrist and put the digits into his mouth, sucking on them seductively. Nero choked back a moan and before he knew it, he was picked up and carried up the stairs over the other man's shoulder. The teen didn't complain as he was dropped lightly on the floor of the bathroom, the door clicking shut behind them.

With a smirk, Dante shrugged off his trench coat and hung it up on the back of the door; he always seemed to take good care of it. He sauntered towards Nero, causing the younger man's face to flush pink again at the way he swayed his hips. His hands slipped under Nero's tank top and raised it up to his neck, he getting the picture and raising his arms above his head. The tight fitting garment was tossed to the floor somewhere as Dante began to make quick work of his jeans, all the while licking and sucking at his neck. Nero moaned softly as his silky black boxers went next, warm hands immediately returning and cupping each cheek of his buttocks.

"Now it's your turn," Dante whispered into his ear.

"Oh no..." Nero trailed off, an idea coming to mind.

His smirk was almost akin to Dante's as he pulled back and stroked his stubbly chin. "I want to watch you strip for me," his tone was an equally seductive whisper.

The elder raised an eyebrow, but he was far from turned off. "Kinky aren't we?"

Nero walked away from his partner, being sure to give him a full view of his arse before he perched on the step to the shower cubical, turning round to watch. He felt surprised at his actions, but his shyness quickly returned as he noticed Dante eye him hungrily with lust filled eyes. _What the hell was I thinking, asking Dante to strip for me?!_ But he forgot about that as he watched the other man undo the belt around his tight, red leather trousers and discard it. _Damn, he's really going to strip for me!_

"I see this turns you on," Dante purred.

Instinctively, Nero covered his exposed erection with his Bringer, earning a bark of laughter from his lover. Slowly, Dante began unbuckling the clasps of the belts on his shirt before pulling down the zip, gradually exposing his muscular upper body inch by inch. Nero was practically drooling as he shrugged off the leather shirt, blue eyes locked on blue eyes across the room. One hand began rubbing his chest and abdomen while the other trailed down low and worked on unfastening his trousers. He used both hands to pull them down over his hips, stepping out of them and pulling off his strawberry patterned socks. Nero snickered, expecting one of them to be thrown in his face, but it never happened.

Instead, Dante stretched back leisurely, one hand resting behind his head and fisting his hair, while the other slipped down over his chiselled abdomen. That hand stopped over the growing bulge in his tight, red hipster shorts, beginning to rub slowly with a pleasured expression on his handsome face. Nero felt his whole body heat up from watching, his legs beginning to feel weak as he stood on the edge of the shower cubical.

"I didn't quite ask for strip tease Dante," he noted.

Dante grinned devilishly. "Your body ain't complaining."

Nero had noticed a long time ago that, not only was the elder's display making him harder than he ever believed possible, it was making his Devil Bringer glow incredibly bright. _Damn thing always gives me away._ Quickly, Dante discarded his underwear and pushed Nero into the cubical, trapping them together in the confined space behind glass doors. The younger was instantly sandwiched between the cold tiled wall and Dante's hot body, the temperature difference sending shivers along his flesh.

"Don't worry," Dante began, his voice quiet. "The plumbing's been fixed."

Whilst nuzzling the soft skin behind his ear, Dante turned on the taps and the initial rush of cold water made Nero yelp in surprise. With a snicker, the elder wrapped his arms about the smaller form in front of him, rubbing pale skin with calloused hands to warm him up. Eventually, the water heated up and the atmosphere quickly became more intimate as the steam created a pleasant temperature.

Nero turned round in Dante's arms to face him, immediately being pulled into a passionate kiss, tongues massaging the other and teeth nipping at soft flesh. The elder's tongue was so inviting that Nero failed to notice the hand that dipped low to grasp his manhood. A groan slipped from his lips as that hand began stroking him, slowly at first before gradually speeding up with each sound he made. He tilted his head back in sheer bliss, his human hand roving across his partner's upper torso while the claws of his Devil Bringer dug into his shoulder. Dante grunted as he smelt his blood in the steamy air and slowly brought his ministrations to a close; regardless to how pleasing the thought was, he didn't want to end up fucking the kid in the shower. He wanted to be gentle with him.

Nero released his grip, looking confused. "Dante?" he queried.

"Don't worry," he replied with a smirk. "I just want to move on from here."

The younger part devil understood his meaning as he shut off the shower and opened the glass door. He quickly found himself being dragged from the cubical and into the comfort of a big, fluffy white towel. Clearly rushing in his eagerness to continue and keep his desires under control, Dante dried both of them off before gathering Nero into his arms and carrying him to his bedroom. He smirked; _our bedroom_. With little protest, the teen was placed in the centre of the double bed, feeling comfortable on the smooth, silky red sheets.

"Damn you look so perfect right there," Dante growled.

He climbed on top of his lover, smiling as hands worked their way into his hair.

"I love you Dante," Nero murmured, returning the smile.

"Nero..." he brushed their lips together. "I love you too."

He pressed his lips to his in a light kiss before reaching out to open the drawer in his bedside table. After some rummaging around, he found what he wanted and produced a tube of lubricant. Nero swallowed nervously, his demon hand tightening immediately in Dante's white locks. The elder sensed the slight tension from the kid and he observed him deeply, a smirk gracing his handsome features.

"First time?" he questioned, simply.

Nero blushed. "Don't say that whilst smirking."

"I'm just trying to lighten you up, then you can be more relaxed."

He didn't say it because Nero would probably kick him somewhere sensitive, but the fact that he was a virgin only turned him on even more. Dante coated his fingers in the viscous oil, his eyes never leaving Nero's as he lowered himself down his body to tease his entrance. He used his other hand to slowly stroke the kid's cock as he licked the head, dipping his tongue into the slit before taking it deep into his mouth. He watched as Nero's eyes glazed over with lust and after a time, he inserted one finger into him.

"Dante," Nero moaned.

He knew fingers were no trouble for the punk, given the way he'd been masturbating in the motel. _Heh, he still doesn't know I saw him... oh well!_ Deciding to move on, Dante immediately slipped in another two fingers, using all three to stretch the muscles that clenched around them. The groan ripped from Nero's mouth was far from pained. _So, he really must do that a lot_, the elder thought as he pulled back from his cock with a small chuckle.

"You seem pretty comfortable there," Dante teased.

"Don't even go there Dante," Nero shot back, breathlessly.

"I will eventually, you know that."

"Just fuck me will ya?"

"Ah, feisty! You know I love feisty."

Dante withdrew from his mate and squeezed more lube onto his fingers, coating his thick shaft with slow strokes. Nero felt himself grow harder, but he soon felt a large presence pressed at his entrance as the elder returned to him. He wrapped his legs around his partner's waist, his feet switching slightly from nerves and excitement.

"Ready for me to blow your mind?" Dante's voice was so deep it was barely audible.

"That confident, eh?" Nero retorted with a slight smirk.

"Oh you have no idea... _Nero_."

The teen shivered pleasantly at the way Dante purred his name, but he had little time to ponder over it as he felt his lover slide into him. He tightly closed his eyes as he held back a cry of pain; he didn't expect it to hurt this much, even with Dante's size. The older man planted kisses on his neck and gently massaged thighs as he pushed in further until he was completely buried. Nero was still quite tense and Dante lifted his body up slightly, allowing for a better angle.

"Nero, look at me," he whispered soothingly.

Slowly, the younger man opened his eyes to look into those of his partner, which were so full of love. Without dropping his gaze, Dante pulled out almost all the way before thrusting in harder. Nero arched his back, beginning to feel the pleasure as the other man's slow movements eased away the pain. Taking that as a signal to continue, Dante started with a slow pace, his thrusts hard and deep. He captured Nero's lips with his own, trying to distract himself from the tight heat that was begging him to fuck the kid senseless. He didn't want to ruin this by being selfish but soon, Nero broke from his kiss and practically screamed as his prostate was struck head on.

"Oh fuck!" he cried. "P-Please Dante... m-more!"

_Hot damn his begging is sexy_. The elder obliged, positioning his hands by Nero's head as he picked up his pace and assaulted his sweet spot on each thrust. By now, the pain had been completely washed away with waves of ecstasy and the teen snaked his Bringer between their bodies to pump himself to the rhythm.

"Shit Nero," Dante grunted. "So fucking tight."

Nero began to move in time with the elder's hips. "Oh... D-Dante..."

"Oh yeah babe... say my name."

"Dante..."

"Again!"

"Dante!"

He couldn't take it anymore, not with the younger hunter moaning his name in such an erotic way. Knowing the kid would be sore in the morning, but now unable to control himself, Dante pounded into the young body beneath him. He felt the hot coil in his abdomen wind tighter as he picked up his pace again in response to Nero's sexy vocals, his own moans escaping into the heated air. The bed creaked from Dante's furious pace, but it was nowhere near enough to drown out the loud cries from Nero.

"Dante..." he panted. "I... I'm c-coming..."

"Me too Nero..." Dante growled. "Just a little... longer..."

"Ah Dante... I... I... ahh... DANTE!"

Nero arched his back and screamed as he came hard between them, his essence adding to the slickness of their bodies. Dante's eyes turned red, feeling the edge approaching as tight walls clamped around him. After a few more thrusts, he slammed into him and threw his head back, moaning Nero's name as he filled him with his seed. His arms trembled beneath him and he collapsed on top of his lover, his breathing harsh and erratic as he recovered.

"Oh fuck Nero," he groaned. "You're fucking amazing."

Nero ran the claws of his Bringer through Dante's silvery hair. "Wow," he said simply.

Dante chuckled. "See why I'm so confident?"

"I don't think _anything_ is that intense... oh Dante..."

Carefully, the elder pulled out and rolled over to lie besides Nero. His young lover shifted to snuggle against his side, Dante sighing with contentment as he encircled him in his arms. He wanted to remain like this for the rest of his life.

"I'm going to be sore in the morning, aren't I?" asked Nero.

"You'd better be after that!" Dante chuckled.

The teen smiled. "And I don't care one bit," he cuddled him tighter. "I love you Dante."

_I'm the luckiest man in the whole fucking world. _"You too, Nero."

* * *

_*********_

_Nero blushes so much here... and I had to have a strip teasing Dante... and this is the end, I hope you've enjoyed reading and maybe I'll start coming up with ideas for more Dante x Nero._

_I plan to add this to deviant art soon too, you can find me under "Cannonade" (that name was taken here, apparently)  
_


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